Quebecers have seldom felt obligated to be in step with the rest of Canada, so the road show currently marching across La Belle Province is no surprise.

The Quebec government has been holding public hearings across the province on euthanasia and assisted suicide. Ostensibly, this is a fact-finding tour but the name of the committee betrays its true sentiment. It is called the “Dying with Dignity Special Commission,” implying, of course, the odious notion that euthanasia and assisted suicide bring dignity to death.

Papal tours too often become occasions for anti-Catholic and other anti-religious forces to find a friendly microphone. Before the visit to Britain even began there were indications that a hostile reception might await Pope Benedict. There was even half-serious talk of arresting him for “complicity” in the sex abuse scandal.

Every event needs a narrative, and this is oh so true of Pope Benedict XVI’s just completed State visit to Great Britain. Prior to the trip, the buzz was about cost, security, protests and anger. During the trip, the buzz was about attendance at Papal masses, outings, ceremonies and the protests outside, inside and about. Now that the trip is done, the buzz centres on what he accomplished, how and whether the entire exercise was worth the effort? Or as Time Magazine put it, “The Pope vs. Britain’s Secularists: Who Won? Notorious British M.P. George Galloway thinks he has it down and declares that the Pope’s critics and much of the coverage were straight out of another time, when even being Catholic was a treasonous offence, “Pope Bashers are Throwback to 1605”. Dominic Lawson, writing in the Independent takes a different tack and places the credit with the Pope instead of the blame with the critics, noting, “I suspect it is precisely the unpolitical nature of Pope Benedict that gives him a certain popular appeal”. Lawson, a leading British journalist concluded his piece by observing “Humility is perhaps the most difficult of all the virtues; the smuggest among the Pope's secular critics could learn from his example.” David Willey in a blog on the BBC site believes that the entire Vatican is heaving a sigh of relief at a trip well executed and euphoria over besting all expectations and even hopes in “Pope’s Visit is deemed to Challenge Stereotypes”. Paddy Agnew in the Irish Times concurs with Willey’s sentiment noting, “there’s no disguising the Holy See’s satisfaction about the trip". Publications as far away as New Zealand couldn’t help but share in the growing international consensus with a report entitled “ Pope Succeeds in UK Charm Offensive”. Even Prime Minister David Cameron heaped praise on the Pontiff and his visit, noting that the Pope had ‘challenged Britain to sit up and think about the role of religion in society”. Anne Applebaum writing in the Washington Post adds an interesting layer of reflection on Cameron’s sentiment in a thoughtful piece “Anger over papal visit shows religious freedom is alive and well in Britain” which actually does a nice job putting much of the coverage into an interesting perspective.

Arguably everything in the news the past few weeks has been about the key importance of tolerance and freedom, especially religious tolerance and freedom. Three different moments capture a sense of the forces at work.

 

Benedict XVI’s visit to the United Kingdom, which started on Thursday, provoked numerous reflections on the nature of anti-Pope bigotry and it’s deeper uglier anti-Catholic bigotry on the part of Brits and throughout the world. In the first day alone, Benedict made clear that despite the criticism, he was intent on fighting back the tide of secularism and insisting on the need for religious liberty. In his first sermon, the Pope, as is his wont, delved into history for evidence of the evil that can flow from the desire to kill off God and Religion. He was referring to Nazism but it seemed to require a media interpretation to calm the secularists. But as is often the case, the reality of a Papal visit can soothe and charm, though of course the jury is still out.

 

The Papal visit, and its attendant arguments about ‘extreme’ atheism and religious liberty comes in the same week as the 50^th anniversary of a critical talk given by John F. Kennedy while running for President. It’s difficult to imagine now, but in that campaign the idea that a Catholic might be President was the subject of bitter debate. And the young candidate traveled to a meeting of the Greater Houston Ministerial Association where he delivered a plea and forged an argument about religious tolerance, liberty and the distinctions between “rendering unto Caesar and rendering unto God”. By all accounts it defused the issue and made his Presidency possible. But while possibly creating the space for Catholics in politics, the long-term result may have been to render Catholic values in politics difficult, or so argues Archbishop Chaput of Denver and a former Communications officer with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

 

Stephen Hawking creates the third corner of this triangle of tolerance and liberty. The physicist made news this month with the assertions in his new book of the ‘non-necessity of God’ in the creation of the universe. This is a shift from his thinking as expressed in early works. Hawking used to believe the universe needed a prime mover but now believes the Universe came into existence on its own. The list of people unimpressed is extensive and includes philosophers, a Jesuit Physicist and thinker, columnists and theologians. The intriguing think about Hawking and the God issue is the ease with which much of the media assumed that if Hawking says so then it must be so. The reality is that an assertion by Hawking that God didn’t exist is still an assertion, not a fact, which takes us back to the ideas of religious freedoms, religious tolerance and the dangers of extreme atheism.

My usual reason for going to Venice has to do with contemporary culture. I went there last month, for example, to write about the 12th Biennale of Architecture for a Canadian magazine. The famous show (which runs until late November) is a fascinating survey of the things advanced architects, artists and theorists in many countries are thinking about these days, and I’m glad I was able to take it in.

But before I left for Venice, I made up my mind to do more than keep my nose to the architectural grindstone — to take some time off, that is, and revisit some old acquaintances among the religious canvases and murals that grace the island city’s churches, historic charitable foundations (called “scuoli”) and public buildings.

A country pastor from Wolfe Island doesn’t get to offer the Holy Mass in the private chapel of the archbishop of New York without good reason. On Sept. 8, I had the best reason of all — to give thanks to God for a great priest, valued mentor and dear friend, who became Catholic on that very spot.

Richard John Neuhaus, who died in January 2009, was received into full communion with the Catholic Church on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary (Sept. 8, 1990) 20 years ago by the then-archbishop of New York, Cardinal John O’Connor. Richard would be ordained a priest by Cardinal O’Connor a year later.

Canada’s maternal and child health plan raised $5 billion in public and private funding and was endorsed in June by all the G8 members. The program to save the lives of tens of thousands women and children in developing nations was one of few highlights from the summer’s outrageously expensive gathering of world leaders.

Despite pressure from many quarters, the government of Stephen Harper took the commendable position that none of Canada’s $1.1-billion contribution would be channelled into abortion. That position didn’t sit well with all our allies. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thundered that “you can not have maternal health without reproductive health and reproductive health includes contraception and access to legal, safe abortions.” She, and others, were persuasive to the extent that Canada eventually included family planning into the program but drew the line at abortion.

Pope Benedict XVI will land in Britain on Sept. 16 and when commentators suggest preparations are almost complete what they really mean is the lions are being ushered into the den.

In this case, the lions would be all those individuals, groups, politicians and, of course, the media who are licking their chops at the prospect of getting their claws into Benedict XVI on home soil.

In only the second papal visit to Britain since Henry VIII split with Rome in 1534, and the first since Pope John Paul II drew huge crowds in 1982, Benedict will meet with the Queen, other political and religious dignitaries and be serenaded by Susan Boyle. But the crescendo will be the beatification Mass of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Birmingham on the final morning of the four-day tour.

In a little over a week, Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United Kingdom on the first ever Papal State Visit. John Paul II went in 1982 but that was a Pastoral journey. Benedict’s journey is promising, for better or worse, to be a much different event. Context is everything and this visit comes after a year of nasty accounts of clerical abuse in Ireland and Europe as well as a flood on UK commentary on the role the Pope himself did or didn’t play in dealing with the abuse crisis then and now. Just this week it was announced that the Pope would likely meet with abuse victims.

Aside from the sexual abuse cloud over the visit, the most controversial aspect of the trip so far has been the question of cost. As a State Visit the UK picks up the majority of the cost and the Church is charging for attendance at Papal events to cover its share of the costs. And while officials insist that no one will be denied access due to financial difficulties, the question of the cost and value of the trip just will not go away. Opinions on this are truly conflicted with some believing the Church should absorb all the costs while others denounce the Church for charging the faithful.

The visit, in the planning for most of this year has also provoked controversy over security and appropriateness. And the result is thousands of news stories, opinion pieces and arguments. And while surveys suggest many Brits are indifferent to the visit, no one is ignoring the visit. One of the true treats of British Journalism is that the coverage of religion compares favourably to the coverage of politics and sports. It’s lively, witty and engaging, if at times unfair, biased and rude. Consider the treatment given to news that the Pope is insisting that the main part of all masses during the visit will be conducted in Latin as example of the way British media deal with religious news.

There will be tension. The UK Catholic Church and the government are wrangling over ‘equality’ legislation, which insists that Catholic Organizations adhere to non-discrimination laws when it comes to Gay and Lesbian employees. Protests are planned at every Papal stop, though there is a growing argument within the anti-papal forces about the nature of the protests. As well there is lingering angst and animosity over last year’s Vatican outreach to troubled Anglicans. The Beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, a highlight of the visit, is seen by some as rubbing salt in the wound, given that Newman spent the first half of his life as a prominent Anglican Thinker and the last half as a devout Catholic. Adding to these expected tensions are the plans of noted anti-Church forces led by Richard Dawkins and company and in particular their ‘campaign’ to have the Pope arrested when he comes to British soil for crimes against humanity. In a strange twist of attention, one publication is wondering aloud whether the Papal media team is up to the task of a visit sure to be marked by vitriol and celebration in equal measure.

Given Benedict’s well known love of music, there’s no surprise that one of Britain’s leading Catholic Composer has created a mass that has choirs across the country trying to get up to speed. And news that Susan Boyle, the YouTube sensation, as well as a current fave in Britain’s Got Talent TV show, Liam McNally, are scheduled to sing at Papal Masses has created a real buzz. But perhaps the most intriguing news on the music front is the choice of Ooberfuse, a Catholic Rap group based in London to provide the “official youth anthem” for the visit. You can check them out here.

And what’s a State visit with out souvenirs? In addition to the usual run of plates, cups, glasses and so forth there are new stamps marking the visit and the Newman Beatification. While the souvenirs seem relatively normal, some are complaining they are too ordinary and are calling for something a bit more out there. For even more details, check out the official web site of the Papal visit or link up with the Facebook page.

 

I was raised in a devout Polish Catholic family but did not attend Catholic schools. As an immigrant family, we went to the school that was closest to home for some very practical reasons.  So I am a product of the public school system.

As a young child, I desperately wanted to attend Catholic school. I had a deep conviction in my heart that I belonged there. I clearly remember  pleading to get my way but I couldn’t convince my immigrant parents. They had more fundamental matters to deal with.