As Canada’s bishops gathered on computer screens this past week, bypassing the “norm” of their usual annual plenary, the old saying “what a difference a year makes” was probably uttered more than once.

OTTAWA -- The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a challenging learning experience for the Catholic Church in Canada, and that continued when the first-ever online Plenary Assembly of Canada’s bishops began Sept. 21 as bishops from across the nation gathered in front of their computers to get down to business.

OTTAWA -- The impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the Catholic Church in Canada will be a key theme of the first-ever online plenary assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops when the annual meeting gets underway Sept. 21.

A nearly three-year process of investigation and review at the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace has resulted in a slimmed-down national council with four bishops appointed to the development agency’s governing body.

Bishops across Canada have condemned racism and encouraged peaceful protest amid the global wave of outrage at the killing of George Floyd while in police custody.

Canada’s bishops and Development and Peace hope to end years of accusations, suspicions and investigations with a new governance structure that is transparent, streamlined and gives bishops closer oversight of Canada’s development agency.

OTTAWA -- The tradition of honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary in the month of May is taking on even greater significance this year as Catholics around the world are being asked to turn to the mother of Jesus for protection during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The bishops of Canada and the U.S. will consecrate their nations to the Blessed Virgin Mary May 1 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OTTAWA - Canada’s Catholic bishops and religious men and women have condemned the clerical abuse of women religious in the wake of a French documentary that was aired on television in Quebec.

The following is an edited version of the Easter message from Bishop Lionel Gendron, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:

MONTREAL - In a letter addressed to the Canadian bishops and the leaders of Development and Peace, prominent leaders of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and civil organizations criticized a moratorium on at least four Philippine associations suspected of "violating the social teachings of the Church."

Development and Peace is assuring donors a review of the practices of 52 partner agencies will end soon while two archbishops are going the extra mile to support the Catholic development agency.

The status of Development and Peace as a Catholic charity in good standing hangs in limbo with no end in sight to a year-old review of some of the agency’s partnership agreements.

OTTAWA – After a 15-year hiatus, an evangelization conference organized by Canada’s bishops will return in April and is already sold out.

OTTAWA – The Canadian bishop who participated in the Vatican abuse summit believes the unprecedented gathering of Church leaders is a “sign of hope” that the Church is finally coming to grips with the worldwide problem of sexual crimes against minors.