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April 2021

April 16

Federal Court of Appeal overturns Safe Third Country ruling

April 16, 2021

For the foreseeable future, asylum seekers at official Canada-U.S. border crossings will be turned back to try their luck in the U.S.

Harry McAvoy: Doing battle with the dragons

April 16, 2021

Those of us living with serious health concerns know the days can be long. I have always appreciated an expression I heard years ago: The days are long, but the years are short.

April 17

Surviving Mount Cashel: Finding the strength to overcome abuse horror

April 17, 2021

Jane Doe never attended Mount Cashel Orphanage, but she knows the second-hand impact all too well.

April 18

God's Word on Sunday: Jesus opened the path to God to all

April 18, 2021

Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25 (Year B) Acts 4:7-12; Psalm 118; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18 Even the hostile authorities could not deny that Peter and John had performed a great healing miracle. But they wanted to know who or what was behind it — whose power were they channeling.

Tastes of Heaven goes virtual, and national

April 18, 2021

The annual Tastes of Heaven gala fundraiser for Catholic Missions In Canada was not staged in 2020, one of the long list of victims of the COVID-19 virus, but the keystone event returns April 29 in a virtual realm.

Taking science back from the culture wars

April 18, 2021

In the COVID era, there’s no news like science news — the fastest vaccine development in human history has been news all year.

April 19

New law on Mass attendance in Ireland 'draconian' according to local church leaders

April 19, 2021

DUBLIN -- The head of the Irish bishops' conference said the government's move to criminalize attendance at Mass as part of COVID-19 regulations was a "potential infringement of religious freedom and of constitutional rights."

Saying he missed people, Pope Francis returns to window for Sunday prayer

April 19, 2021

VATICAN CITY -- Greeting visitors in St. Peter's Square after nearly a month of tight restrictions due to the pandemic, Pope Francis said he was happy to see people allowed to gather and be present for Sunday noonday prayer.

April 20

Papal charity sees increased violations of religious freedom globally

April 20, 2021

VATICAN CITY -- The religious persecution exercised by China and North Korea, restrictions on religious freedom in dozens of countries and the continuing threat of violence at the hands of religious fundamentalists belonging to a variety of faiths all have worsened since 2018, said Aid to the Church in Need, a papal foundation and Catholic charity.

April 21

Luke Stocking: Paid sick leave is a right, not a privilege

April 21, 2021

“Paid Sick Days.” This phrase keeps showing up in my social media and news feeds. Mostly it comes from Catholic social justice and labour union friends as well as from my local MPP (a member of the New Democratic Party). The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association has been calling for paid sick days in Ontario for some time as part of their COVID-19 advocacy. As far as I can see, they are the only significant Catholic institution that has been doing so. Does our Catholic faith support this position? Absolutely.

Speaking Out: Ups and downs of pandemic life

April 21, 2021

Nearing eight months into this pandemic and starting my senior year in hybrid learning, I, like most, was going stir-crazy this past October. I worked remotely, teaching music and trying to learn and work in a household with three others trying to do the same.

Budget 2021: Good or bad? Time will tell

April 21, 2021

OTTAWA -- Billions of dollars will be poured into some of the key priorities of faith and social justice groups as the federal government has opened the spending taps in its budget unveiled April 19.

The Angel Foundation mines student potential

April 21, 2021

Student trustee Kathy Nguyen’s position sees her sitting on the board of The Angel Foundation for Learning, a charitable organization affiliated with the Toronto Catholic District School Board that helps students realize their potential regardless of financial challenges.

Prayers said aloud lead the way to God, Pope Francis says at audience

April 21, 2021

VATICAN CITY -- Because prayer is a dialogue with God, people should not dismiss or be embarrassed by saying their prayers out loud or in a whisper, Pope Francis said.

April 22

Court upholds most of Quebec’s secularism bill

April 22, 2021

OTTAWA -- An effort to have the courts overturn Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 has failed, even though a provincial court did rule that some aspects of the law that infringe on language rights must be scrapped by the government.

Supreme Court deals final blow to hospice society

April 22, 2021

VANCOUVER -- Delta Hospice Society has lost its final legal opportunity to prevent a takeover of its board by euthanasia advocates.

Rock legend seeks the transcendent

April 22, 2021

Legendary Canadian musician Myles Goodwyn has spent 2021 purely in his element: he’s pouring his energy into writing and recording the songs that will make up his next album, Long Pants, which is expected to be released in July or August.

New fundraiser launched for rebuilding of Notre Dame in Paris

April 22, 2021

A novel fundraising approach to restore one of the most iconic monuments in the world, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, enables donors to have a piece of history.

Fire claims Attawapiskat church

April 22, 2021

Another church in a First Nations community has been destroyed by fire.

Editorial: Faith and the prince

April 22, 2021

About 30 years ago, a catalogue of Prince Philip’s personal library revealed more than 8,300 books, over 450 of them classified under the label of religion.