Last Updated:Thursday - 07/15/2010
September 21, 2009
WCR Letters to the Editor
L. American leaders not worth hugging
It is with extreme surprise I read Ramon Gonzalez's article in the Aug. 31 WCR ("Hebert embraces Latin American leaders").
I thought these dinosaurs of liberation theology had all been weeded out by John Paul II the Great.
To "embrace" any of the Latin American "leaders" one must be either delusional or ignorant, or both. There is not one from either the left or the right that is even close to being worth "hugging."
They are all the same corrupt bunch, the only difference being the ones on the left buy the votes of the poor masses to get elected. They literally pay the poor a monthly subsidy of 1,200 pesos in Uruguay (Cdn$60), to get their support back in the elections.
But at the same time the leftist government doesn't do squat to get them half-decent housing or any kind of jobs.
Lula da Silva of Brazil is considered the most corrupt "leader" that country has had.
Hugo Chavez is the megalomaniac self-proclaimed Fidel's heir in exporting "revolution" through Latin America. Hugo does this by throwing around millions of "his" petrodollars to the eagerly receiving "leaders" of Latin America.
In 2008 Venezuela's inflation was 25.73 per cent according to the International Monetary Fund and reports of empty shelves in grocery stores abound. Poor people are having extreme difficulty feeding themselves, due to inflation and scarcity of produce.
As backup to the above information: I am a Uruguayan "legal" citizen, as well as a Canadian citizen, residing in this country for over 40 years.
Anyhow, I will not donate to Father Hebert's mission in Nicaragua. If he embraces these leaders, it is his democratic privilege to do so.
I see in them as the great hypocrites that they are, using the poor for their own personal aggrandizement.
Andrew Tarnowski
Edmonton
Letter to the Editor - 10/19/09
Chavez's actions show he is no man of the people
In response to the article on Father Denis Hebert, published in theAug. 31 WCR.
Although the work of Father Hebert in Central America is admirable, he should be more cautious in his admiration of some of the South and Central American leaders, in particularly Hugo Chavez.
His view that Chavez is a man for the people is erroneous. One only has to take a peek at his actions in the last few years in order to see the fruits of his presidency.
For instance, during the mudslides that killed 30,000 Venezuelans, Chavez refused aid from the U.S., which included navy ships equipped with heavy machinery and aid supplies. Such help could have saved countless lives and improved the situation.
Instead his message was clear, he would rather see his people suffer and die than accept help from the U.S. This is utter arrogance, fuelled by political idealism, rather than his love for the people.
Among other problems during his governance include the push for laws which open the door for homosexual marriage and abortion; the banning of religious education in all schools and replacing it with Marxism; censorship of those who publicly oppose him, including radio and television stations; clashes with the Church; skyrocketing violence; worsening poverty; collapsing economy and inflation; relations with terrorists organizations and individuals, including the FARC, Mahmoud Ahmadinehad, and Robert Mugabe.
Furthermore, because elections are done electronically, the government keeps tabs on who voted for whom. For this reason, some people are either fired or lose their jobs due to their support of the opposition.
Although I admire Father Hebert's work, I have difficulty promoting a man who supports such political figures. Instead, there are other well-respected Catholic groups in Central America I would rather give my time and financial support.
Javier Martinez
Calgary
Letter to the Editor - 10/19/09
School district Masses should be held in church
Re:"Make Jesus the school's core, Smith says at opening Mass" (WCR, Sept. 7).
As a teacher retired from Edmonton Catholic Schools, I am concerned about the message given to the public when the school opening Mass is not held in one of our churches.
On questioning several people about this, I was told that space was needed for 3,000 people and that none of our churches held this number.
The WCR states in the article that 3,300 staff members attended the Mass. Yet the Winspear Centre's own website give the capacity at either 1,716 or 1,932, depending on whether the choir space is utilized for seating.
Someone has the figures very wrong or the fire department would be very interested in the idea that double the capacity is being crammed into the space.
I believe that several of our churches can hold the actual number that the Winspear Centre says that it can handle.
Let us utilize our worship space for the purpose that it exists. And give the public the message that we begin our Catholic school year in a place of worship, not a concert hall.
Mariann Sheptycki
Edmonton
Poor should get first place at every banquet
Re:"The Eucharist calls us to move from worship to service of the poor" (In Exile, Aug. 31).
Father Ron Rolheiser continues to inspire us with his prophetic wisdom. What distinguishes Father Ron from other prophets is that he is an articulate diplomat who presents his vision without fire and brimstone and without insulting the ecclesiastical establishment.
I was deeply moved by his plea for an expanded, enriched, inspired understanding of the true meaning and symbolism of the Eucharist. Speaking of the Gospels, Father Ron reminds us "When you hold any banquet . . . we should give preferential treatment to the poor."
Of course, we all know that Catholic fundraisers are exclusively for the rich. We also know that money will buy special consideration at eucharistic celebrations.
Consider this quote from Father Ron's essay: "In a sense, the true substance to be consecrated each day is the world's development during that day - the bread symbolizing what creation succeeds in producing, the wine (blood) what creation causes to be lost in exhaustion and suffering in the course of that effort."
That is transubstantiation that I can believe in.
John Zyp
Edmonton
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