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June 2013

June 26

Environment advocates consider Obama climate plan a good step forward

June 26, 2013

WASHINGTON - Catholics working for environmental justice welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to address climate change, saying it is an ambitious proposal that deserves watching to ensure that it is carried out.

U.S. bishops view Supreme Court's rulings as 'tragic day for marriage'

June 26, 2013

WASHINGTON - U.S. Catholic bishops said the U.S. Supreme Court's June 26 rulings on same-sex marriage were a "tragic day for marriage and our nation."

World Vision trying to bring some normality to Syrian refugee children

June 26, 2013

TORONTO - Last November, while visiting a refugee camp in Lebanon for Syrians fleeing the civil war in their homeland, Lindsay Gladding found out first hand how important World Vision's Child Friendly Spaces are.

It’s not health care

June 26, 2013

Sometimes the obvious needs to be stated: euthanasia is homicide.

A God-shaped hole resides within the human heart

June 26, 2013

The German philosopher Nietzsche once described Christianity as a religion of the weak. He argued that religion, especially Christianity, denied the human person free will because it removed the freedom to make choices by relying on a God who, he argued, does not exist.

Fr. Andrew Greeley gave us hope

June 26, 2013

As a young seminarian in the late 1960s, I was very taken by the writings of Andrew Greeley, a priest in Chicago, who was churning out books on popular spirituality.

Heaven is our only reward

June 26, 2013

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) July 7 (Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20)

A cathedral, California-style

June 26, 2013

GARDEN GROVE, CALIF. - On the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the parish of St. Callistus will have a procession, but not any ordinary procession. This being California, it will be a motorcade. And the congregation won’t be coming back.

Cleansing the curia

June 26, 2013

Even the most faithful of Catholics would be pushed to describe Pope Francis as being a particularly discreet pontiff. He is, after all, an Argentinian of Italian heritage, and as splendid as both cultures may be, discretion is not the first quality that comes to mind when one considers them. It’s difficult to imagine the German Benedict or Polish John Paul II chatting away to a group of priests and nuns and telling them of a “gay lobby” in the Vatican. Not that this was all that Pope Francis allegedly said to the Latin American delegation, but having a certain word — and it’s not “lobby” — in a phrase is certain to mobilize and motivate the media into a frenzy of interest. Thing is, no serious person with any interest in or knowledge of the Church and of Rome has ever doubted the existence of an influential collective of priests and bureaucrats in the Vatican who have allowed their homosexuality to become the prime factor in their spirit and psyche. We all know priests who have same-sex attractions, but whose celibacy, spirituality, faithfulness and Catholicism dominate their character and oblige all other personal aspects to become largely irrelevant...

Whatever should happen, God cares

June 26, 2013

On June 6, Yulia Solodyankina was coming down with something. Nevertheless she went to a joyous percussion performance at a bar near the University of Edinburgh, where she is a physics student. The show began at 7 p.m. She left at 9 p.m. Although she sent a friend a text message the next day, she has not been seen again.

We really do have an amazing nation!

June 26, 2013

As we celebrate Canada Day, it’s not too difficult to get down on our country right now.

June 27

A career spent acting out his Catholic values

June 27, 2013

BRAMPTON, ONT. - More than 20 years ago, Mark Creedon walked into a tough situation. The new executive director of Catholic Family Services Peel-Dufferin was looking at year-long waiting lists for services and a tiny $750,000 budget.

Church groups aid India flood relief

June 27, 2013

THRISSUR, INDIA - Church charity groups in India joined security personnel in rescue and relief work for hundreds of thousands of people affected by flash floods and massive landslides in northeastern India’s Uttarakhand state.

June 28

Ex-pat priest goes home

June 28, 2013

TORONTO - After 41 years of celebrating Mass in the Greater Toronto Area, Fr. Fructuoso Garcia is getting ready to hang up his collar and return home to Spain.

Positivity aims at the heart of success

June 28, 2013

Load, aim, fire: the basics of air rifle shooting, an Olympic sport. For the past three years, I have had the honour of representing Ontario with my fellow team members at the National Marksmanship Competitions, which entails practice, steadiness, a good diet, concentration, a comfortable position, proper breathing and most importantly, a positive attitude.

Host families open homes, hearts to WYD volunteers

June 28, 2013

RIO DE JANEIRO - In 2011, Luis Martinez, 29, travelled to Madrid, almost by accident. He said it was destiny that took him from his home in Fresnillo, Mexico, as a pilgrim to World Youth Day. Someone could not go at the last minute, and he ended up taking the spot.

Courtyard movies reel ’em in at St. Peter’s

June 28, 2013

TORONTO - As the sun sets on St. Peter’s parish courtyard, the film rolls.

June 29

The World Bank’s plan to help end ‘absolute poverty’

June 29, 2013

The World Bank is promising the poor will not always be with us.

Holy See unhappy with Canadian arms treaty inaction

June 29, 2013

A Vatican diplomat has signalled serious concerns over Canada’s belated attempt to ratify an arms control treaty it signed five years ago.

June 30

The Church’s response to the crisis in Syria

June 30, 2013

The last three years of sponsoring Iraqi refugees has prepared Catholic parishes and religious communities to deal with the next wave coming from the civil war in Syria, said Office for Refugees, Archdiocese of Toronto executive director Martin Mark.