Last Updated:Thursday - 07/15/2010
March 2, 2009
WCR Letters to the Editor
Catholics must play prophetic role in society
I am troubled by the recent article from Canadian Catholic News about a perceived need for Catholicism to correct and save capitalism (“Capitalism needs Catholicism if it is to survive,” WCR, Feb. 16). I hope the audience at the Ottawa presentation will be invited back for a much fuller discussion on the subject.
Like other Christians, Catholics are called to play a prophetic role in society. We are free to work to reform or transform capitalism. We are also free to promote mixed economies or to peacefully seek alternative economic systems which uphold human dignity, the common good and the integrity of creation.
In the early Christian community, at least ideally, “no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common” (Acts 4.32). Peter also sternly rebuked a couple who withheld funds from the sale of formerly private property (5.1-4).
When the presenter highlighted Church condemnation of atheistic socialism, did the audience also hear about the Church’s more nuanced response to democratic and Christian socialism which arose in Western Europe and Latin America?
Many Christians helped develop and lead economic cooperatives and credit unions. What can we learn from the Antigonish cooperative movement co-founded by Father Moses Coady in Nova Scotia in the 1920s?
Working with fishers, farmers and coal miners suffering economic hardship, the social justice movement spread throughout and well beyond Canada. Today the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish draws students from many parts of the world.
Our vocation is to be — and help others become — responsible global citizens who seek social change by applying biblical and Catholic social teaching, as well as Christian social ethics.
Catholicism is not intended to perpetuate capitalism or any other economic system.
Roma De Robertis, scic
Saint John, N.B.
Bishop lauded for call to arms over tar sands
A great prophet has arisen among us. In the Feb. 2 WCR, Bishop Luc Bouchard of St. Paul shared his pastoral letter,The Integrity of Creation: The Athabasca Oilsands.
This letter is not only profound, erudite and comprehensive, but also a spiritual call to arms to defend the environment and, above all, to protect native populations adversely affected by the tarsands developments in the Fort McMurray region.
The Tories under Premier Stelmach had their speech from the throne this week. Among the long list of proposed bills, we read, “bring in land use legislation to promote environmental priorities alongside social and economic goals” and “introduce a plan to manage impacts of oilsands development.”
Let us see if such promises come to fruition without unnecessary debates and delays. Albertans deserve no less.
Another former spiritual leader in the St. Paul Diocese issued a similar warning a quarter century ago. I refer to Father Fernand’s appearance before the Berger Commission examining the Mackenzie Valley pipeline and its possible negative effects on the delta’s native Dene population.
Life goes on, but lessons are hardly learned. Bishop Bouchard, we salute you sincerely.
Henriette Lirette
Edmonton
Letter to the Editor - 03/16/09
Vigorous dialogue sought on Humanae Vitae
When hundreds of people come together spontaneously on a cold February night from all corners of our diocese to fill our cathedral church and praise God, we cannot help but rejoice.
The teaching purpose of the evening was less successful.Sister Timothy spoke in abstract language that seldom engaged our everyday experience.
Michael and Terese Ferri spoke clearly and in an engaging positive way of their experience of having 14 children and now enjoying the grandchildren coming along.
All three speakers seemed to have a not-very-hidden agenda of asserting that the failure to accept Humanae Vitae is a prime cause of the obvious disasters we see today in sexual behaviour and marriage relationships.
The Canadian Church faced squarely and responded courageously to Humanae Vitae. It respected the right and responsibility of married couples to follow an informed decision of conscience in planning their family.
The Canadian bishops sent their response to the Vatican and it was accepted.
If we are to re-enter the controversy of Humanae Vitae, we need a vigorous presentation of all sides of the argument.
The question was taken off the floor of the Second Vatican Council and given to a commission appointed by Pope Paul VI. This commission voted in favour of a change in the Church’s teaching.
Later that year Pope Paul released Humanae Vitae which reiterated the condemnation of artificial contraception. Catholic laity who live the reality of marriage today massively disagreed with the encyclical.
If we are to re-open this burning question, it must be open to a real catechesis — an exploration of the history of the question and the experience of those who believe in Catholic marriage and are also capable of informed decisions of conscience in such a delicate personal decision. On Thursday evening, the program promised a catechesis of the human body. Instead we were given a celebration of a beautiful, yet hardly representative, example of one couple’s marriage.
Edward Kennedy, cssr
Edmonton
Letter to the Editor - 03/16/09
Letter to the Editor - 03/16/09
Letter to the Editor - 03/23/09
Letter to the Editor - 04/06/09
Letters to the Editor
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