The Hon. Jean Chrétien, energy minister, may be awarded the prestigious Christian Cultural Award by Assumption University, this April 10th.
Chrétien, the Minister of Justice during the introduction of the Charter of Rights, excluded the unborn from any protection and, as seen in a letter in the February 19th Catholic Register, as well as in letters sent to Father Health of Assumption University and to Bishop Sherlock of London, Ontario, Chrétien stated that “The government has no intention of changing the present (abortion) law.”
As Chrétien stated in 1981, “The Charter does not seek to take a position with respect to the rights of unborn children … that the Charter should explicitly recognize the right of a woman to have a therapeutic abortion should not be jeopardized by entrenching rights of the unborn in the Charter.”
This open admission of pro-abortion support caused much distress in pro-life groups across Canada, and as Mr. Amyotte pointed out in his letter in the Catholic Register; “Man can never obey a law which is in itself immoral, and such is the case of a law which would admit in principle the liceity of abortion. Nor can he take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law or vote for it.” (Vatican Declaration on Abortion, Nov. 18, 1974).
With such action on Mr. Chrétien’s part, actively pro-abortion, and obviously against established Roman Catholic teaching, Assumption University may find it difficult to justify this award.
