At the annual general meeting of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), held in Toronto in March this year, an attempt was made to eliminate existing school chaplains (priests or sisters) or chaplaincy team leaders and members if they were not qualified OECTA “teachers’ and ‘branch affiliate members.’ Fortunately it lost: For – 308; Against – 200. Probably OECTA members figured [...]
I was visiting in Ireland and England during the period of the alleged rape case of the 14-year-old Irish girl. There were frequent comparisons in the media to the Bourne case. What was the Bourne case? J.S. Nepean The Bourne case (1938) in Britain involved a 14-year-old girl who was criminally raped by several soldiers, and became pregnant. Dr. Alec Bourne, out [...]
As pointed out many times, there is much interlocking of religious issues and pro-life issues even if one doesn’t at first see the connection. One such interrelationship is clerical celibacy, now almost constantly under attack in the anti-life media. Many people – even a good number of Catholics today – have become confused. They now believe that obligatory celibacy for priests in [...]
Canadians should stop paying attention to self-service newspaper polls on Sunday shopping. Ask questions such as “Would you like to work on Sundays while others go the cottage or the beach?”, and the results would be spectacularly against open Sundays. The polls, and those who support them, are appealing to the worst aspects of consumerism. Instead of being guided by a comprehensive [...]
In November 1991, celebrations were held to mark the opening of the new St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan, Saskatchewan, a town of about 10,000 close to the U.S. border. There was a great of praise for the person largely responsible for the building of the new facility, hospital administrator Sister Therese Roddy, a member of the sisters of St. Joseph of Peterborough, [...]
We all have times when we want to die! If tragedy strikes, or pain is unbearable, sickness is serious, or disability is permanent we are tempted to give up. However, the living out of the days and the weeks and the months teaches us how to cope. It is in the coping and working through each day that we learn that life [...]
Constitution Ottawa. A federal cabinet minister has applauded a Catholic Bishops’ call for a return to family-based values. Catholic bishops of Ontario are warning if the country is to survive, we must rediscover a sense of community. Energy Minister Jake Epp couldn’t agree more. “I think the bishops have given us a good service by putting forward into the public debate what [...]
Charlottetown, PEI- In October 1991, 70 women attended a weekend Women’s Spirituality workshop in the chapel area of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). The event was co-hosted by the Sisters of St. Martha, the Sisters of Notre Dame (whose Provincial attended), and the Women’s Network. Director Sr. Brenda Pettigrew, a Sister of Mercy from St. Johns Nfld., described it as [...]
When she was once asked by reporters what the feminist movement hoped to accomplish in the future, Betty Friedan answered, “ I can’t tell you that now. You wouldn’t believe it anyway. It’s theological.” In other words, the movement was going to change the way people-especially women- thought about religion. Paradox How well the movement has succeeded in this objective is shown [...]
Only two months ago most people in Ireland believed that 1983 Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed that abortion could never be made legal in this country. But today, as a result of decision by “ Five Wigged Men, Solemn as Sin,” according to a headline in the Irish Times, abortion is legal, on demand, whenever a woman threatens suicide. Courts duped The [...]
In The News… Forthcoming Encyclical on Morality Rome The Roman whisper was that the encyclical was ready in October 1990, complete with the title Veritatis Splendor, ( The Splendour of Truth). Then it ran into objections from the theologically-minded German Bishops, according to the rumors. This sent Cardinal Ratzinger back to the drawing board. Be that as it may, Cardinal Ratzinger, perfect [...]
Pennsylvania Washington D.C. On January 21,1992, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the 1989 Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act. Planned parenthood v. Casey is the first abortion law to come before the Court in 1992. The Pennsylvania law ensures a woman’s right to know the facts about the development of her unborn child and the alternatives to abortion. In ruling on the [...]
The Tory caucus in Ottawa is split on the issue of homosexual rights. Justice Minister Kim Cambell wants to fulfill a promise made by John Crosbie when he was Justice Minister six years ago to add “ sexual orientation” to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act. A number of conservative MPs agree with her. Others [...]
The Pro-Life amendment to the Irish Constitution is under fierce attack. Pro-abortion organizations, Women’s Centers, trade unions and media personalities are in full cry. Politicians from all parties are joining them in their demands that the amendment by scrapped, or that its enforce The outcry arises from a case in which the Attorney-general took out an injunction to prevent a 14-year-old victim [...]
In the most recent development in the Pastor Nessa case (see The Interim, October 1991), it appears that the Norwegian government is becoming even more intransigent in regard to the country’s liberal abortion law. An October 12, 1991 letter from Pastor Tom Haenglse reveals that Pastor Lugwig Nessa, an outspoken opponent of Norway’s permissive abortion law, was refused the right to appeal [...]