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March 2012

March 6

U.S. tornado damage widespread; churches become centers for aid, prayer

March 6, 2012

HENRYVILLE, Ind. - As one of the few buildings in town to come through intense storms March 2 nearly intact, St. Francis Xavier Church has become a natural staging area for relief efforts, community organizing and prayer. Four days after a devastating tornado hit, volunteers and professionals used St. Xavier, the nearby Henryville Community Church and a community center as bases for people trying to put their lives back together. The town of about 1,600 was one of several in the region to be largely destroyed by a wave of storms that created dozens of tornadoes across 11 states March 2 and 3.

North Bay parishioners take case over church closures to the Apostolic Signatura

March 6, 2012

Former parishioners of Corpus Christi and St. Rita's parishes in North Bay, Ont., are taking their case against closing their churches to the highest court in the Church. The Corpus Christi-St. Rita's group will appeal to the Apostolic Signatura to have the diocese of Sault Ste. Marie maintain the two buildings for some form of sacred use. Last year the group asked the Congregation for the Clergy to rule that their churches had been improperly reduced to profane use to facilitate their sale. The Congregation for the Clergy ruled against the North Bay group in February.

CNEWA puts Syrian projects on hold

March 6, 2012

OTTAWA - The violence plaguing Syria has forced the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) to put many of its projects there on hold, even though Christians so far do not seem to have been specifically targeted. But support for Iraqi Christians who fled to Iraq, many of whom struggle to survive in the slums of Damascus, is still ongoing, said CNEWA Canada national director Carl Hétu.

Iraqi refugees expected in Toronto shortly following Cardinal Collins sponsorship

March 6, 2012

The Iraqi family sponsored by Cardinal Thomas Collins is in the final stretch of its long road to refuge. The Iraqi Christian refugees should be in Canada before the end of April thanks to an offer of sponsorship by Collins. Members of the archdiocese of Toronto administrative staff have raised the money, drawn up a 15-page settlement plan and gathered together a hope chest to make sure the family will find a warm welcome in Toronto. The office workers have come together to take full responsibility for the refugees, said Martin Mark, executive director of the archdiocese of Toronto’s Office for Refugees.

Porous and buffered personalities

March 6, 2012

A friend of mine tells this story: As a young boy in the 1950s he was struck down with pneumonia. His family lived in a small town that had neither a hospital nor a doctor. His father had a job which had taken him away from the family for that week. His mother was home alone with no phone and no car. Frightened and completely without resources, she came to his sick bed, knelt beside it, pinned a medal of St. Therese of Lisieux to his pyjamas and prayed to St. Therese in words to this effect: “I’m trusting you to make my child better. I’m going to remain kneeling here until his fever breaks.” Both my friend and his mother eventually fell asleep, he in his sick bed, she kneeling beside it. When they woke, his fever had broken.

God is mercy and love

March 6, 2012

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year B) March 18 (2 Chronicles 36:14-17, 19-23; Psalm 137; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21) All written histories are interpretations of events rather than “cold, hard facts.” Historians have a lens through which they view the world and events. They usually seek to demonstrate their own ideas through the arrangement, selection and interpretation of events. For example, I and II Chronicles are theological reinterpretations of Israel’s history after the painful 70-year exile in Babylon and the return of the people to Jerusalem.

Ethical engagement

March 6, 2012

If it is possible for something to be shocking but not surprising then the so-called election robo-calls controversy fits the bill. Elections Canada has fielded 31,000 complaints from voters who say they were on the receiving end of telephone dirty tricks on or around federal election day last May. The revelations are shocking because widespread deception may be expected in fledgling democracies or authoritarian states that masquerade as democracies, but surely not in a country like Canada. Then again, the allegations are not surprising because, sadly, Canadian politics have been travelling a slippery slope for many years when it comes to declining moral standards and ethical practices. Maybe we should have seen this coming.

Even teens deserve freedom of speech

March 6, 2012

“You might find this interesting,” wrote a reader, sending me a link. “In Toronto, no less.” So I clicked on the link and found the story you may have read in the Toronto Star or the National Post about the student at Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School in Ajax, Ont., who wrote a speech about inner beauty to the girls of his high school. Seventeen-year-old Paul Gomille had earlier spoken to his principal about his address, and she had thought it a good idea — if he made revisions. Apparently she wanted him to take the “judgmental” parts out. This Gomille neglected to do. Instead he distributed his version in the cafeteria. For this he was given a two-day suspension, media attention and a good chunk of fame.

Don’t forget Christians caught in Israeli-Palestinian conflict

March 6, 2012

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, when it comes to human rights violations and protecting religious freedoms, Israel is the worst country in the Middle East — except for all the rest.

A winding road to unity

March 6, 2012

VATICAN CITY - In the days after the hoopla of the consistory for new cardinals left town, a smaller but more historic group of pilgrims was making its way to the tomb of the apostle Peter and the seat of his successor. A pilgrimage of thanksgiving arrived from Britain — some 100 members of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the new “diocese” set up for former Anglicans who are now Catholics, but with the special task of preserving their Anglican cultural and liturgical patrimony. Some two years after Pope Benedict XVI made it possible with his document Anglicanorum Coetibus, the new structure is established in Britain and more recently also in the United States. The arrival of new Catholics from Britain, small in number but fervent in faith, was experienced as a “homecoming” by them, and a tiny step toward healing the breach of the divisions of the 16th century.

Wicked slander against Pius XII

March 6, 2012

Recently on my Sun News television show, The Arena, I interviewed a man called Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. He is best known for being Michael Jackson’s spiritual adviser, for writing a book called Kosher Sex and for aggressivly promoting himself. Mea Culpa — I should never have had him on my show. The discussion became heated and gained enormous publicity, mainly due to the man’s apparent obsession with me and what I said. Most of this is irrelevant, but one thing does deserve to be discussed. Boteach stated that Pope Pius XII was “One of the most wicked men of the 20th century.”

Irish asked to ring in St. Patrick’s Day

March 6, 2012

DUBLIN - Organizers are encouraging parishes and communities across Ireland to use the feast of St. Patrick -- March 17 -- to intensify preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress. Their initiative, Ring for Renewal, "invites people to pause for a moment in their day to ring a bell on St. Patrick's Day and reflect on how they can be renewed as individuals and members of the church as they prepare for the congress," said Father Kevin Doran, congress secretary-general.

Evangelicals defend Catholics over GSA bill

March 6, 2012

OTTAWA - The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) warns that Ontario’s anti-bullying Bill 13 could violate the rights of Catholic and private religious schools if it requires them to act contrary to their beliefs. In an 18-page resource for parents, the EFC praises the approach taken by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association’s Respecting Difference policy because it “addresses all forms of bullying equally” and complies with existing federal and provincial human rights laws. Bill 13 requires all publicly funded schools to have gay-straight alliances, it says. Though the schools may use a different name, the groups must be issue-specific.

March 7

Youth lift Christ higher

March 7, 2012

TORONTO - For the 15th year in a row Canadian and American youths joined together for a day of love, laughter and lifting the Lord higher in their hearts. Held on March 3 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this year’s Lift Jesus Higher Youth Rally combined loud music, modern technology and religious testimony, all in an attempt to engage the 1,300 in attendance. The youth rally was just one aspect of the annual Lift Jesus Higher Rally. It also caters to adults, and this year had to turn people away at the door because it was at capacity.

Shining the spotlight on mental health

March 7, 2012

Jerome is a young man with post-traumatic stress disorder who attempts to cope by self-medicating with marijuana. Diana is suffering from depression and has low self-esteem. And Melanie is a youth caregiver whose mother has schizophrenia. These are a few of the characters in performances by Elevated Grounds, an organization that uses song, dance, drama, music and spoken word to educate and bust the stigma surrounding mental health. “We are hoping to show the stresses and issues that affect mental health are present in the everyday life of young people and the important thing is to become aware of these stresses and seek help,” said Leyland Gudge, Elevated Grounds’ program manager, mentor and elder.

Growing in faith, one page at a time

March 7, 2012

In the early 20th century, Gilbert Keith Chesterton was writing books and articles on subjects as diverse as literary criticism and morality. Today, the Catholic community continues to hold his works in high regard, with his books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man, among others, credited with the successful conversion of many new Catholics. In The Young Chesterton Chronicles, author John McNichol provides a fictional account of Chesterton’s teenage life. Written for young readers, the series re-imagines Chesterton’s teenage years and personal struggles as he developed in the Catholic faith. While the first book, When Tripods Attack! dealt with Chesterton’s discovery and subsequent conversion into Catholicism, its sequel, The Emperor of North America, deals with an issue that affects all Catholic youth: the faith crisis. Along the way, McNichol takes readers on an action-packed ride that includes flying assassins, priests who know martial arts and an arena battle with a steam-powered robot crab.

The habits of highly effective Catholics

March 7, 2012

A simple classroom book study opened my eyes to the true essence of the Catholic faith: a yearning for effective and virtuous living. Although the popular book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People included few references to Christianity or Catholicism, the relation to better Catholic living was clear — and further opened my eyes to the values of the Catholic faith. The habits say the ultimate goal for an individual is to develop from dependence to interdependence, where one can work harmoniously in a co-operative environment. It says we must be proactive and share a common vision.

Christian groups seek end to prostitution

March 7, 2012

OTTAWA - As a battle over Canada’s prostitution laws wends its way through the courts, some Christian groups are campaigning to abolish prostitution. Last year, an Ontario judge struck down Canada’s prostitution laws as unconstitutional, agreeing with the prostitutes who brought the case that the present laws endanger their security of person, forcing them to work on the streets or unable to seek help from police. The decision is under appeal.

OECTA says McGuinty video problematic for negotiations

March 7, 2012

Premier Dalton McGuinty’s public call for the province’s teachers to “do their part” in helping slay Ontario’s deficit will only harm the bargaining process, says the head of the Catholic teachers’ union. In a recent YouTube video appearance, McGuinty asked Ontario teachers to accept a two-year wage freeze and a modified sick-leave plan in an effort to reduce the $16 billion provincial deficit in a way that preserves small class sizes and all-day kindergarten.

Dynamic women show their faith at Mississauga event

March 7, 2012

TORONTO - In the Bible, there are many women reaching out and evangelizing, says Catholic writer Dorothy Pilarski. To encourage the same kind of leadership today, Pilarksi is holding the third annual Dynamic Women of Faith conference on March 24. “I want to introduce women that have a lively faith so others can be inspired by these leaders,” said Pilarski, author of the provocative book Motherhood Matters.