(CCCB – Ottawa)… The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) today announced the appointment of Father Louis-André Naud as Director of the French Sector National Liturgy Office and Secretary of the French Sector Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments. This appointment will take effect on September 1, 2013. Father Naud will succeed Father Gaëtan Baillargeon, who is retiring as the current Director and Commission Secretary at the end of August.

Pope Francis has written to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr. David Cameron, on the G8 Summit that takes place June 17-18, 2013, in Northern Ireland. In his letter, the Holy Father emphasizes that, “to attain its broadest and deepest resonance, it is necessary to ensure that all political and economic activity, whether national or international,” is in reference to the human person. The Pope’s letter also invites the G8 leaders to focus their discussions in particular on the poorest and most vulnerable. The same point was emphasized in an earlier letter to each of the G8 national leaders  signed by the President of their respective Episcopal Conferences, including the Most Reverend Richard Smith, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and Archbishop of Edmonton, in a letter to Prime Minister Harper.

Link to the Pope's letter

In addition to opposition by the Assembly of Québec Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Organization for Life and Family, other voices in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada have questioned or criticized the Quebec government’s Bill 52, “An Act respecting end-of-life care”. Among these are the Physicians’ Alliance for Total Refusal of Euthanasia, the Living with Dignity network, the Quebec Rally against Euthanasia, and the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, as well has stated that “The Government of Canada will review the implications of Quebec’s proposed legislation on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.”

The Most Reverend Pierre-André Fournier, Archbishop of Rimouski and President of the Assembly of Québec Catholic Bishops, has released a statement on Bill 52 by the Government of Quebec, “An Act respecting end-of-life care”.

Link to Archbishop’s Statement (only in French)

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) regularly posts possible homily ideas and prayers of the faithful to help link the Sunday liturgy with the national pastoral initiative for life and family. The proposed texts for June 2013 include suggestions from the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ to the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  These suggestions can be easily adapted for family and personal prayer, or for use with other groups or organizations. The texts for the month of June are available on the special Life and Family webpage, under the section “Documents and activities proposed by the CCCB”.

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) has released a statement on Bill 52 tabled June 12, 2013, by the Government of Quebec, “An Act respecting end-of-life care”.

Link to COLF Statement

The French-language version of the letter that CCCB President Archbishop Richard Smith has sent to the Prime Minister of Canada on the upcoming G8 Summit in the United Kingdom is now available on the CCCB Website.

Link to the letter

Pope Francis, in commemorating the UN World Environment Day, spoke out strongly in defence of human and environmental ecology at his General Audience on June 5, 2013. “The Popes have spoken of human ecology, closely linked to environmental ecology. We are living in a time of crisis: we see this in the environment, but above all we see this in mankind. The human person is in danger: this is certain, the human person is in danger today, here is the urgency of human ecology,” said the Holy Father. The same concerns have also been made by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in its recent document, Building a New Culture – Central Themes in Recent Church Teaching on the Environment.

Link to the Pope’s message

Two weeks before the upcoming G8 Summit in the United Kingdom, the Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), has written to the Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada. In his letter, Archbishop Smith invites Mr. Harper and all the leaders of the G8 nations to put the protection of the poor and assistance to developing countries at the center of their meeting. “Your focus on agriculture and nutrition ahead of the G8 Meeting is timely. In a world that has made great strides in improving food production and distribution, far too many of God’s children still go to bed hungry or suffer from a lack of nutrition, a tragedy that has lifelong consequences for health and educational achievement.”

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations has issued a statement on “Food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation and drought” at the Third session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, May 23, 2013. The Holy See in its statement notes that “lack of access to adequate food and nutrition is a moral and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by man-made policies and practices such as market distortions through excessive financial speculation on food commodities, armed conflict, diverting food resources from consumption to energy production, waste of food resources and failure to provide access to markets for producers in developing countries.” The Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations is the Most Reverend Francis Chullikatt.

Link to the Statement

As part of the ongoing worldwide celebrations of the Year of Faith, the Holy See and Catholic dioceses around the world are organizing special opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration this Sunday, June 2, 2013, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (commonly known as the Feast of Corpus Christi). Canadian Catholics are invited to contact their diocese or parish for more information about local celebrations.

This worldwide Eucharistic Adoration includes a solemn celebration presided by Pope Francis in Saint Peter's Basilica. The celebration will be broadcast live by Salt + Light Television in English at 11:00 am, Eastern Time, with a repeat in French at 4:00 pm, Eastern Time, followed by repeats in English at 9:30 pm, Eastern Time, and again at 10:30 pm Pacific Time (June 3, 1:30 am, Eastern Time).

The episcopal ordination of the Most Reverend Anthony Wieslaw Krótki, O.M.I., as Bishop of Churchill-Hudson Bay, took place today, May 30, 2013, at the Church of Mary Our Mother in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. The Most Reverend Reynald Rouleau, O.M.I., Bishop Emeritus of Churchill-Hudson Bay, was the presiding celebrant, assisted by the Most Reverend Murray Chatlain, Archbishop of Keewatin-The Pas and Apostolic Administrator of Mackenzie-Fort-Smith, and the Most Reverend Gilles Cazabon, O.M.I., Bishop Emeritus of Saint-Jérôme. A number of other Bishops from across the country were also present, including the Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.