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May 2014

May 1

Medical association takes the debate on end-of-life care across Canada

May 1, 2014

Doctors don’t think Canada should mess with the rules that govern how they care for the terminally ill without a serious national debate. Therefore the Canadian Medical Association has been sponsoring town hall meetings across Canada.

Going vegan for God

May 1, 2014

A jar of freshly squeezed juice or a bowl of fruit are my constant companions as I walk through my school or pause for lunch. The lingering smell of sweet oranges, berries or bananas often draw the attention of those around me.

Marry science and faith

May 1, 2014

TORONTO - Science and faith, contrary to popular belief, are not at odds with one another, says Fr. John McCarthy.

Well-intentioned bills on migrant workers don’t go far enough

May 1, 2014

Two bills under consideration in Ontario that seek to expand protection for migrant workers are “doomed” because they don’t address the real thing these workers need, a means of staying here, says Stan Raper.

Papal participation sought for student Mass

May 1, 2014

Ontario’s Catholic students have invited Pope Francis to share with them in a province-wide Mass to be held May 7.

Parents remain thankful for their disabled child

May 1, 2014

TORONTO - A month before Bernadine Marhong was due to give birth, doctors recommended that she abort her unborn baby. The baby, whose name would be Denise, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid builds in the brain and causes brain damage. The doctors thought Denise would have no cognitive function and would die within 48 hours of birth.

May 30

Shame on law society

April 30, 2014

In a decision that might be unenforceable and is certainly misguided, the Law Society of Upper Canada has barred future graduates of a Christian law school from practising in Ontario. In a 28-21 vote, the law society branded aspiring lawyers from B.C.’s Trinity Western University persona non grata because students and staff agree to live by a moral code of conduct that, among other things, prohibits sexual intimacy outside of marriage.

Quashing liberty

April 30, 2014

So, the Law Society of Upper Canada has finally voted, albeit after a great deal of consideration, appeals and a close vote, to prevent law graduates from Trinity Western University’s law school from being accredited as lawyers in Ontario. In other words, other than for an academic exercise, the law degrees from this British Columbia Christian university’s law school, set to open in 2016, are largely devalued. I’ve been to Trinity Western and spoken there; I’ve interviewed the president on my television show. All concerned seem like fair-minded, gentle, intelligent people.

Coming full circle with St. John Paul II

April 30, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Permit, if you will indulge me, a lapse into autobiography. That was, after all, one of the signal achievements of St. John Paul II, that his biography became part of so many autobiographies. The story of his life shaped the story of so many lives.

John XXIII, the witty saint

April 30, 2014

Pope John XXIII’s ascension to saint status, along with Pope John Paul II, sent me on a quest to find some of the new St. John XXIII’s wittiest remarks.

Poland was the place to be

April 30, 2014

KRAKOW, POLAND - The morning weather forecast for Krakow predicted rain and storms. I sat on my bed in the monastery and gazed at my tablet in dismay.

God’s mercy allows us to repent

April 30, 2014

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A) May 11 (Acts 2:14a, 36b-41; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; John 10:1-10) Peter’s words rolled across the crowd like the voice of doom. They were thunderstruck at his message: somehow they had crucified the one whom God had designated as Lord and Messiah.

We can’t always trust happiness

April 30, 2014

One of the most gifted actors I’ve observed is Robert Duvall. From fearless napalm-loving Lt. Col. Kilgore in Apocalypse Now, to shy retired Cuban barber in Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, or mild-mannered consigliere of The Godfather, he gives life to an astonishing array of characters.

God’s quiet presence in our life

April 30, 2014

The 12th-century Persian poet Rumi submits that we live with a deep secret that sometimes we know, and then not.

Parish surprises Lombardi on his 40th year a priest

April 30, 2014

TORONTO - The parishioners of St. Wilfrid’s Church have found what has been lost and replaced what has been stolen to honour their parish priest, Fr. Massey Lombardi.

Enduring huge crowds worth it for pilgrims

April 30, 2014

ROME - Getting into St. Peter’s Square for the canonization Mass of Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II was not for the faint of heart.

Canadian bishops recall importance of John XXIII, John Paul II

April 30, 2014

ROME - The historic “Sunday of four popes” attracted more than 800,000 pilgrims — the largest turnout ever for a canonization Mass — including seven Canadian bishops.

King’s joins in poverty research project

April 30, 2014

The solution to local poverty could be online. London, Ont.’s King’s University College has joined the the London Poverty Research Centre in opening a virtual hub to address and ultimately end poverty in the city.

Irish safeguarding board plans to follow Pope and 'kick up a fuss'

April 30, 2014

DUBLIN - The independent watchdog that monitors child safeguarding procedures in the Irish Church pledged to follow the example of Pope Francis and "disturb the peace."

Family, friends remember the life of rights league executive director Joanne McGarry

April 30, 2014

TORONTO - Joanne McGarry was a lot of things to a lot of people — an advocate for Catholic civil rights, a Catholic journalist and a dedicated colleague to some, to others always be a dear friend, loving wife and caring mother of three. Now to all she is an angel in heaven.