We often hear the expression, "Well, Christmas is over." But, Christmas is never over. The celebration of Christmas is over, but Christ is still with us, just as we are still with our families even after we have celebrated our birthday. We are reminded of this in a special way by the feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated an Jan. 6 [...]
Over a two-week period late last year, abortionist and Humanist Association of Canada vice-president Henry Morgentaler twice attacked religion. At a Dec. 3 press conference, Morgentaler said the state should force the end of religious affiliations to hospitals. He said that their "biases" interfered with the "reproductive rights" of Canadian women and singled out Catholic teaching that abortion is a "serious sin" [...]
I am fortunate in receiving a very large amount of correspondence from readers. A common question is, "What are the beliefs that lead you to write as you do?" Okay, here it goes. A street corner on one of those deliciously hot summer evenings. To my left is a restaurant and outside of it, a large pile of garbage bags awaiting the [...]
In 1991, in his Apostolic Constitution on the Catholic University, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope John Paul II declared that it is his "deep conviction that a Catholic University is without any doubt one of the best instruments that the Church offers to our age, which is searching for certainty and wisdom." These are hardly surprising words, considering that universities are one of [...]
Ever since CTV aired The Sopranos' first season against CBC's coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics, I've contended that gritty and raw as it is, in terms of all-round writing brilliance, acting quality, dramatization, and production values, it simply eclipses everything else on the small screen. The only shows that come close in quality and depth are Dick Wolf's durable Law and [...]
Toronto Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic won the hearts of pro-lifers Sept. 19 with his homily at the annual Red Mass. The Red Mass dinner, held after the Mass, featured pro-abortion Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark as keynote speaker. Clark attended the Mass and, from his front row vantage point, was a clear and obvious target of one of the Cardinal's remarks. The Cardinal [...]
Room for all in the public square It was thought modernity would lead to a secular state where religion would become so personal and privatized as to be virtually irrelevant to public life, and be without real influence in the public square. Now, just the opposite seems to be occurring. Globally, religion is gaining clout, and how we order our lives together [...]
I am a Calvinist and my wife is a Calvinist. We are both descended from a long line of Calvinists. Yet, it is difficult to imagine how our Catholic friends could have been more enthused than we by the witness to hope of Pope John Paul II in Toronto during World Youth Days. Of course, not all Christians share our admiration for [...]
Evangelical leader complains about silence from the pulpit George Orwell once wrote that he lived in an age when stating the obvious was the first duty of intelligent men. I believe that activists and lay people are rising up and carrying out prophetic work in the culture because pastors and priests by and large are not carrying out a prophetic calling in [...]
On June 15, several dozen academics, students, church leaders and other interested parties met to participate in a one-day seminar entitled "Religious Liberalism and Public Reason" hosted by the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. As an organization grounded in the Reform tradition that offers a host of graduate- level programs to future Christian leaders and academics, the seminar was timed in [...]
A vote in a Vancouver diocese to bless same-sex unions is threatening to tear asunder not only the diocese but also the Anglican Church of Canada and the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, has sharply rebuked Bishop Michael Ingham for undermining marriage and for causing schism in the global communion. On June 14, the synod of New [...]
Pro-life groups plan events before and during World Youth Day World Youth Day is fast approaching and promises to be one of the largest events in the history of Canada. The opportunity to attend an event of this magnitude is an awesome prospect. Toronto will see upwards of 500,000 people sweep onto its streets and crowd its exhibitions sites for this 17th [...]
LifeSite News In an interim ruling May 10, Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert MacKinnon ruled that a Catholic School and the Catholic school board could not forbid a 17-year-old male student from bringing his homosexual "boyfriend" to the school prom. The prom was held that night and the injunction ruling was expedited so as to allow Marc and his "boyfriend" to attend [...]
We live in a society of opinion. It is opinions that shape our world and define who we are in relation to others. Yet, despite the declaration we make, we often confuse the difference between fact and opinion. Fact cannot be changed no matter what view is placed on it. Despite the inherent nature of a fact, many people still strive to [...]
A U.S.-based front group, that claims to represent at least a small number of Catholics, angered orthodox and mainline members of the Catholic church recently when it arranged to have billboards hoisted at two locations in Toronto claiming that the church's stand condemning contraception has led to deaths from AIDS. The billboards, erected by Pattison Outdoor Advertising and located at Front Street [...]