Canadian News

News and events from across the country.

A strong family beneficial to the economy: study

October 19, 2011

Citizens, business, government and civil society would do well to strengthen the family because the wealth of nations and the economy is tied to the fortunes of the family, says a new international report. The bigger your family, the better for the economy, according to the Sustainable Demographic Dividend, co-sponsored by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada. The report examines the connections between marriage, family and the economy. Published by the Social Trends Institute on Oct. 3, the international report looked at 29 countries.

Durocher expecting great challenges in new role as archbishop of Gatineau

October 19, 2011

OTTAWA - Alexandria-Cornwall Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher looks to Jesus on the road to Emmaus as a model guiding him in his new appointment as archbishop of Gatineau, a major Quebec See opposite Ottawa in the National Capital Region. Just as Jesus asked the travellers on the road what they were talking about and what concerned them before he opened up the Scripture and broke bread with them, Durocher sees his task as one of discovering the hungers and spiritual needs of the people in his new archdiocese and hearing their stories. Fluent in French and English, Durocher said that despite his familiarity with the Franco-Ontarian community, he expects to encounter some cultural differences in Quebec. A “different style of belonging to the Catholic Church” has developed in Quebec over the last 40 years, he said. The great majority consider themselves Roman Catholic, but it “is not typically exhibited by weekly attendance at Mass.”

D&P controversy heats up at bishops' plenary

October 19, 2011

OTTAWA - Controversy surrounding the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) continued to dog Canada’s bishops as they began their annual plenary Oct. 17-21 in Cornwall, Ont. On day one of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' gathering of 90 bishops from across Canada, a Quebec pro-life group dropped off a 400-name petition demanding a complete review of CCODP, while the editor of LifeSiteNews.com, whose coverage has fuelled much of the controversy, was asked to leave the premises.

Catholic Family Services hosts Mass to end woman abuse

October 19, 2011

TORONTO - The foundation that supports Catholic Family Services of Toronto doesn’t know how to solve the problem of men beating up and bullying their wives and girlfriends, but they know one thing we should be doing about it. They want us to pray. Catholic Family Services of Toronto Foundation is bringing Catholics together to pray for victims, families and even the abusers at its second annual Mass to End Woman Abuse Nov. 3. This year the Mass will be held 6 p.m. at St. Clare’s Church, 1118 St. Clair Ave. W., with Fr. Vito Marziliano presiding. The Mass will offer prayers for women and for healing, said Mary Benincasa of St. Clare’s parish.

Friends, family the key to Gail Ward’s 100 years

October 19, 2011

TORONTO - When Gail Ward started answering phones at Our Lady of Lourdes parish the first of Mackenzie King’s three Liberal governments was in its last days, the nation was still mourning nearly 70,000 dead from the First World War, the Scopes monkey trial was just underway in the United States, Pope Pius XI was establishing the Vatican as a sovereign state and the Great Depression was unthinkable. She was 14 years old in 1925 and enjoying a game of tennis outside the rectory when she was asked to fill in for the missing parish secretary. It was the beginning of a career in parishes that spanned 80 years.

To Deacon Chomko, life is a gift, struggles or not

October 19, 2011

TORONTO - Armed with the lessons he learned from the Second World War, Polish army veteran Kaz Chomko, who is approaching a milestone 100th birthday, has been spreading the message of peace and the gift of human life in his 35-year hospital ministry as a deacon with the archdiocese of Toronto. Chomko’s call to the diaconate came in 1976, and he made hospital ministry his call. “My idea was to (highlight) the value of life. I chose to work with the sick and suffering,” he said. When speaking to patients, Chomko spoke of how he coped with his own struggles and found inner peace with God.

Ontarians oppose tax dollars for abortions, poll finds

October 17, 2011

TORONTO - Ninety-one per cent of Ontarians are unaware publicly subsidized abortions in the province cost taxpayers at least $30 million a year, according to an Abacus Data poll published Oct. 10. Commissioned by Campaign Life Coalition, LifeSiteNews.com and The Interim, the poll Public Funding of Abortion in Ontario also found that 40 per cent of respondents believe abortion should be available but only publicly funded in medical emergencies and 11 per cent feel abortion should be available but not paid for by the province in any situation.

Supreme Court hears religious freedom arguments against hate speech codes in Whatcott case

October 17, 2011

OTTAWA - Hate-speech language in human rights codes is “impossibly vague” and has a chilling affect on robust debate, lawyer Iain Benson argued before the Supreme Court of Canada. “The place for hate speech is in the Criminal Code,” said Benson. He was arguing Oct. 12 on behalf of William Whatcott in a religious-freedom case that is challenging the constitutional validity of clauses in provincial and federal human rights acts that prohibit expression “likely” to harm groups by exposing them to hatred, contempt or discrimination.

Incredible year for CCCB - New missal, canonization among highlights

October 12, 2011

OTTAWA - The publication of a new English translation of the Roman Missal, a month ahead of schedule, caps a year of much being accomplished by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (CCCB) secretariat. “It has been an incredible year,” said CCCB General Secretary Msgr. Pat Powers as almost 90 bishops prepare to meet in Cornwall, Ont., Oct. 17-21 for their annual plenary meeting. The first copies of the missal were slated to arrive Oct. 15, well ahead of the scheduled Nov. 10 shipping date. This huge publication task also involved CCCB staff in catechesis about the new translation in workshops around the country and online, as well as the publication of new musical settings.

Salt+Light set to broadcast plenary

October 12, 2011

OTTAWA - The Canadian bishops are teaming with Salt+Light Television to give Catholics a glimpse of the inner workings of the bishops’ conference. When the Catholic bishops from across Canada gather for the annual plenary Oct. 17-22 in Cornwall, Ont., for the first time Salt+Light will provide a live window on some of the proceedings. Salt+Light, a Canadian digital Catholic network, will collaborate with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to offer streaming-video online via the revamped bishops’ web site and Salt+Light’s web site and network.