By Susan Schadenberg
The Interim

Editor’s note: As The Interim went to print, the Catholic Women’s League of Canada was about to begin its annual conference, held this year in Charlottetown beginning August 13. It is expected that the CWL national executive’s endorsement of the pro-abortion World March of Women 2000 will be the subject of heated debate. A full report will appear in our September issue. What follows is the observations of one delegate to the recent Ontario CWL convention. As reported in our July issue, a motion to rescind support for the World March was defeated at that convention.The Catholic Women’s League 53rd Annual Ontario Provincial Convention was held July 9-12, 2000 in Waterloo, Ont.

The March of Women was not a topic on the agenda for the convention. However, the Provincial Council did hold an executive pre-convention meeting on July 9 scheduled for 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. and discussed the March of Women and “how it would be handled if it came up” during the convention. Fr. Nino Cavoto (chosen by the CWL Provincial Council’s Spiritual Advisor, Bishop Nicola de Angelis, to be his representative) was present.

The meeting was moved to a new location. Unfortunately for Fr. Cavoto, they did not tell him where they moved the meeting location to. Of great concern to Bishop de Angelis was that the Ontario Provincial Council did not accept Fr. Nino Cavoto as his representative. Instead, President Betty Anne Brown asked Fr. Randy Foster (Peterborough) to assist with the ceremonies and be the main celebrant at the daily masses.

Prior to the convention, CWL members were unable to find out when the March of Women would be discussed. On July 10, before the business meetings were to begin, an organizer from Hamilton informed a delegate that the topic would come up “sometime today.”

President Betty Anne Brown began her presidential speech around 11 a.m. It was in this speech that she defended the position the executive had taken to participate in the March of Women. Her speech drew in references from the work of St. Francis, St. Augustine, and even John Paul II to justify their position. She quoted St. Francis “in medio stat virtus” – inferring that we must take the middle road and not be a “one-issue” organization. She referred to John Paul II’s jubilee message on ecumenism – that to follow his ecumenical teachings meant to be involved in the March of Women. By taking part in the March of Women, “we are helping to create a healthier lifestyle for women,” she said.

Mrs. Brown’s speech was full of emotion and criticized those who were opposed to the march. She stated that “we must stand with our sisters” and that to leave the March of Women was ” to disassociate ourselves from the care of the poor and women.” Fr. John Lemire (Timmins) shook his head in dismay to hear her propagandize and distort the teachings of the faith.

First to the microphone after the presidential speech was Anneliese Steden (Cambridge) who made a motion that “the Catholic Women League of Ontario, in the 53rd Convention assembled, vote to disassociate the CWL of Ontario from the March of Women.” Mrs. Brown allowed 14 people to give two-minute presentations each and then would not allow anyone else to come to the microphone. Those opposed to the March warned that the decision to associate in the March would tear the CWL apart. Fr. Wayne Mills (Diocesan Spiritual Advisor for Timmins) sensed that the March of Women had become “a personal agenda item” for the executive.

Mrs. Brown asked for a vote. Upon seeing the results, she stated that the motion to disassociate from the March of Women was defeated. Jennifer Curtis (Pickering) protested that an official count should be taken. When that was completed, Betty Ann Brown still did not reveal the numbers. I requested that the count be stated. This led to some confusion between the president and her assistant. The final results, as stated by Mrs. Brown, were 71 against the motion and 43 in favour, with six abstaining.

Of interest to Toronto Archdiocesan CWL members: at the Archdiocese of Toronto CWL Convention, members voted 68 per cent in favour of withdrawing from the March of Women. However, at the provincial convention the Toronto Archdiocesan president voted in favour of CWL involvement in the March. There were three diocesan presidents who voted against the March of Women: Jerri Hasey (Hamilton), Diane Denault (Hearst), and Anne Plaunt (Timmins). After the vote, the meeting was adjourned for lunch. A clear and uncomfortable rift had occurred among the CWL members present.

Various sessions were occurring, one being for the Spiritual Advisors. Fr. Nino Cavoto was disturbed to realize that the March of Women would not be discussed. He attempted to speak of it to Bishop Douglas Crosby (Spiritual Advisor to the National CWL executive), however the bishop “steered away from discussion of the March.”

What was most astounding about the convention was that it was clear to everyone present that the executive had made their decision to take part in the March before the discussion began. Mrs. Brown gave no response to the various points brought to her attention in reference to the CWL involvement in the March (for example, that the CWL was going against their own CWL Policy and Procedure Manual Guideline). It is astounding that the executive is aware that the March is pro-abortion, yet is determined to support it.

Of great concern was how rudely the priests present (who were opposed to the march) were treated. One priest spoke to me in tears, visibly shaken by the experience. Another told me how he was “the poster child two years ago, and now they turn their heads when they see me in the hall.” If you were not in favour of the March of Women, you were not welcome.

Bishop De Angelis, as the Spiritual Advisor to the Ontario CWL, had written a letter prior to the convention in protest of the March to Mrs. Brown. His letter was in response to her sending out only pro-March information to diocesan presidents and provincial convenors. Bishop De Angelis requested that his letter be distributed to all CWL members. (An anonymous delegate did attempt to discreetly circulate bishop de Angelis’ letter at the convention.) In his letter, Bishop de Angelis pointed out that a number of bishops were opposed to the March of Women. Unfortunately, local councils have no way of knowing what opposition there is to the March within the CWL since all mailings come from either the provincial or national levels, which are both supportive of the March of Women.

Of interest was a conversation between Muriel Murphy (Corresponding Secretary for the Provincial CWL) and a delegate. She informed Lorraine Minten (London) that the Ontario CWL has been “trying for several years to get a CWL representative on the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC).”

The National CWL will vote on their involvement in the March of Women at their convention in August (in P.E.I.). If the CWL chooses not to disassociate from the March, there have already been suggestions that several councils may hold back their dues or create a new Catholic Women’s Organization. Holy Redeemer Council (Durham), whose members left the convention immediately following the vote, have said they will have to consider disassociating themselves from the CWL. St. Ambrose Council (Cambridge) will soon vote on an executive resolution to continue as a Women’s Auxiliary. No doubt many more councils, recognizing that the current CWL may not be representing their members, will follow their example.