Pope Francis has written to the German Chancellor, Her Excellency Angela Merkel, host of the G20 leaders' summit gathered in Hamburg, Germany, 7-8 July 2017. Although dated 29 June 2017, the message was made public today, 7 July, by the Holy See. The 2018 meeting of the G7 leaders will take place in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, with the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, as host.

Link to the message of the Holy Father

His Eminence Peter Cardinal Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, published his message for the United Nations' International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26 June 2017. The message focuses primarily on the question of the legalization of marijuana. The issues involved were also addressed on 12 April 2017 by the Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, in his reflection entitled "Statement on Canada's Opioid Crisis and Drug Addiction".

Link to the message of Cardinal Turkson (PDF)
Link to the statement by Bishop Crosby (PDF)

The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), has written to the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding her 6 June 2017 speech on Canadian foreign policy. In her speech to the House of Commons, the Minister equated women's rights with the right to abortion and "sexual reproductive rights", claiming "[t]hese rights are at the core of Canadian foreign policy." In his letter, Bishop Crosby expresses his profound concern and disagreement, calling the statement "erroneous, confusing, and misguided." He recalls that "many women's issues that actually ought to have been raised as legitimate points of international engagement ... were passed over in silence. They include Canada's economic partnerships with countries in which female infants are murdered for not being male; those in which women earn less than men for the same job or where they do not enjoy the same privileges under the law, including the right to education or protection from rape, physical violence, and other forms of abuse."

As announced this past 28 April, as part of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation, each Bishop is invited to consecrate his individual diocese or eparchy to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 1 July 2017 or at another date thereabouts that might better suit the local pastoral situation. Similarly, a Bishop may choose to invite pastors to consecrate their specific parish or mission as part of the celebrations marking the anniversary of Confederation. Several dioceses and eparchies have announced diocesan celebrations for the consecration to Mary. This is the case for example for the Archdiocese of Ottawa, the Archdiocese of Québec, the Archdiocese of Vancouver, the Archdiocese of Edmonton, the Diocese of Victoria, the Diocese of Calgary, the Diocese of Hamilton, the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall and the Diocese of Saint John (NB).

(CCCB – Ottawa)... His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend François Lapierre, P.M.É., as Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe, and has appointed today as his successor Father Christian Rodembourg, M.S.A. At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was Pastor of the Co-Cathedral Saint Anthony of Padua in the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil. Bishop Lapierre has been Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe for the past 19 years. He had submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) continues to post 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 the month of July 2017 include suggestions from the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2 July, to the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 30 July. On 2 July or other occasions to be determined by the local Bishop, parishes may be invited to include the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary as part of local celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation. The official prayer by the Bishop or pastor for the consecration, as well as a shortened version of the prayer for individual use, were prepared by the CCCB and can be found on the CCCB website. The suggestions for homilies and prayers, as well as the official of consecration and the shortened version for individual use, can be easily adapted for family prayer, as well as for personal prayer or for use with other groups or organizations. The life and family suggestions for the month of July are available on the special Life and Family webpage, under the section "Documents and activities proposed by the CCCB".

The Office national de liturgie of the French Sector of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has published the Summer 2017 edition of its electronic liturgical publication Vivre et célébrer. The new issue focuses on the restructuring of parishes, celebrations of the liturgy, and the "missionary shift" involved in becoming a Church of outreach. Vivre et célébrer is a resource for reflection and formation in liturgical and sacramental life. Its target readership are those working in the area of liturgy as well as others simply wanting to deepen their faith through a better understanding of the liturgy. To obtain a subscription, requests should be sent by email to the Office national de liturgie  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or by phoning (613) 241-9461, ext. 137. Subscriptions are free.

Link to the summer edition (in French only)

The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops has announced a new website in preparation for the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops which will take place during October 2018 on the theme "Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment". The site is designed to promote the broad, interactive participation of young people around the world in preparation for the Synod, and includes an online questionnaire to which they are invited to respond and submit to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops by 30 November 2017. The website can be accessed in a number of languages and includes video archives and documents for the preparation of the Synod.

Link to website for the Synod

On 13 June 2017, the Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, the Holy See released the Message of the Holy Father for the First World Day of the Poor which will be observed on 19 November 2017. In the conclusion of his Message, on the theme Let us love, not with words but with deeds, the Holy Father expresses the hope this new World Day "become a powerful appeal to our consciences as believers, allowing us to grow in the conviction that sharing with the poor enables us to understand the deepest truth of the Gospel. The poor are not a problem: they are a resource from which to draw as we strive to accept and practise in our lives the essence of the Gospel." Pope Francis established the World Day of the Poor following the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in November 2016, which he invited the Church to observe each year on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. To mark the First World Day of the Poor this year, Pope Francis will preside at a Eucharistic celebration in Saint Peter's Basilica, followed by a meal in the Paul VI Hall with more than 500 people in need. In Canada, each diocese and eparchy decides how to mark the day.

Link to Pope Francis' Message

On 13 June 2017, the Holy Father appointed 50 members to the Pontifical Academy for Life, including the Most Reverend Noël Simard, Bishop of Valleyfield, and Dr. William F. Sullivan, family physician and an ethicist on the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Toronto. Those appointed to the Academy are experts in different fields of biomedical sciences and related disciplines. Forty-five of the appointees, including the two Canadians, were named to the Academy as "Ordinary Members", the remaining five as Honorary Members. The 50 appointees are from 27 countries and include a number of non-Catholics, some not belonging to any religion and some of whom hold no religious belief. This range of members is intended, the Academy has announced on its website, as "a sign that the protection and promotion of human life knows no divisions and can be assured only through common endeavor."

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has prepared a short version of the prayer of consecration to Mary for personal use. The prayer card is among the resources the CCCB has prepared for the consecration of Canada to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary during celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation. As announced this past 28 April, each Bishop is invited to consecrate his individual diocese or eparchy on 1 July 2017 or at another date thereabouts that might better suit the local pastoral situation. Similarly, a Bishop may choose to invite pastors to consecrate their specific parish or mission as part of the celebrations marking the anniversary of Confederation. The prayer card has a full-colour reproduction of the painting "Notre-Dame du Canada" by the late Quebec artist Marius Dubois. On the back is printed the personal prayer of consecration in English and French. The prayer card can be purchased in packs of 50 by placing an order through CCCB Publications by phone (1-800-769-1147), by fax (613-241-5090), by email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or online http://cccbpublications.ca/.

Link to the description of the prayer card and to order copies 
Link to the resources for the consecration

Toronto, ON –The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) presented its inaugural Dr. Victor Goldbloom Award for Outstanding Interfaith Leadership on 6 June 2017 to The Most Rev. John A. Boissonneau, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto. As one of its four Vicars General, Bishop Boissonneau serves the Western Region of the Archdiocese while also working in various capacities to advance interfaith dialogue and cooperation, including as Co-Chair of the ongoing national dialogue between the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and CIJA's Canadian Rabbinic Caucus.