Ottawa - Today, more than 80 religious leaders from across Canada issued a common message to all who call Canada home, expressing the need for hope, gratitude and solidarity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This ecumenical and interfaith message is a response by religious leaders from across Canada which was initiated by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and The Canadian Rabbinic Caucus with the support and coordination of The Canadian Council of Churches and the Canadian Interfaith Conversation. The French translation was funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The message says: "In spite of present sufferings, which can seem overwhelming at times, the flames of hope cannot be extinguished. Love, which gives life its fullest meaning, continues to seek out the common good in spite of individual difficulties."

The message reflects a unity of thought and concern among Canada's diverse religious communities in the face of the uncertainty, fear and anxiety surrounding COVID-19. Acknowledging the significant impact of COVID-19, the message reminds Canadians of the hope we share, the reasons we have to give thanks, and the ways we can act together for the good of one another.

Hope, Gratitude and Solidarity - A Message to Canadians from Religious Leaders in Canada in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to preventative measures and precautions regarding COVID-19, and with the authorization of His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, the episcopal ordination of Bishop-elect Guy Boulanger has been postponed for an undetermined period. In view of this, and in accordance with the prescribed canonical norms, the Most Reverend Guy Boulanger took canonical possession of the Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda on Saturday 21 March 2020.

More information is available on the website of the Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda (French only).

A unique and special time for prayer, hope and care

Together with all Canadians, the Catholic Bishops of Canada are following with deep concern the current developments in Canada and throughout the world regarding the rapid global spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) which can in certain cases be the cause of serious illness and even death.

The pandemic is now also spreading across Canada. This new virus is understandably a source of anxiety and fear for many. Practical information on responding to the virus and mitigating its spread is available from local public health officials, as well as from the federal and provincial governments, and should be heeded. Catholic faithful are invited to consult their local diocesan/eparchial websites for the preventive measures to be followed for pastoral care and liturgies. Concern for each person and the common good must always be paramount.

The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has released the Holy Father's Message for the 35th World Youth Day (WYD), which will be celebrated in dioceses/eparchies on or around Palm Sunday, 5 April 2020, on the theme "Young man, I say to you arise!" (Luke 7:14). This is the first in a series of messages to young people leading to the international celebration of World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal in 2022 on the theme of "Mary arose and went with haste" (Luke 1:39). In his message, Pope Francis writes, as Christians, verbs such as "arise" and "stand up" carry with them an importance when we recognize that "...we constantly fall and have to get up again. People who are not on a journey never fall; then again, neither do they move forward. That is why we need to accept the help that Jesus gives us and put our faith in God. The first step is to let ourselves get up and to realize that the new life Jesus offers us is good and worth living".

Link to Pope Francis' 2020 WYD message

Ottawa – The inaugural meeting of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' (CCCB) Standing Committee for Responsible Ministry and the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons was recently held in Ottawa. The first permanent structure of its kind within the CCCB, the membership of the Standing Committee involves a total of 16 people, including four Bishops, victims-survivors, and experts from the fields of safeguarding, psychology, and law (canon and civil). The meeting of the Standing Committee members represents an important step for the Church in Canada in its commitment to address the grave harm sexual abuse caused to victims and their families, and to ensure all pastoral environments are safe.

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 March 2020 include suggestions from the1st Sunday of Lent, 1 March, to the 5th Sunday of Lent, 29 March. As usual, the suggestions for homilies and prayers can be easily adapted for family prayer, as well as for personal prayer or for use with other groups or organizations. The texts for the month of March are available on the special Life and Family webpage, under the section "Documents and activities proposed by the CCCB".

Today, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issues its response to Bill C-7: "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)" which was tabled on Monday 24 February 2020.

In the response, the Bishops of Canada express their concerns with Bill C-7, which seeks to expand the eligibility criteria for euthanasia and assisted suicide by removing the "reasonable foreseeability of natural death" criterion currently in the Criminal Code, and by loosening some of the existing "safeguards" allowing patients whose death is "reasonably foreseeable" to waive final consent to receiving euthanasia by making an advance directive.

In addition to voicing their strong opposition to the proposed legislation, the Bishops call upon all Canadians who also oppose the new Bill to make their voices heard. They likewise urge members of Parliament to acknowledge the giftedness of life as an inalienable right not to be taken away by others, the importance of compassion for the ill and the dying, as well as the responsibility to protect the most vulnerable.

Response to the tabling of Bill C-7: "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)"

The 2020 Message of Pope Francis for Lent is titled "We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). In his message, the Holy Father invites the entire Church to prepare to celebrate the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus. " We must continually return to this mystery in mind and heart, for it will continue to grow within us in the measure that we are open to its spiritual power and respond with freedom and generosity."

Link to the Message

Ottawa - It is with a heavy heart that the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) learned over the weekend of the shocking results of an independent inquiry, undertaken at the initiative of L'Arche International, to investigate allegations of abuse by its founder Jean Vanier. The inquiry uncovered disturbing allegations by women (non-disabled) who were abused emotionally and sexually. This news is all the more difficult and incomprehensible given that Mr. Vanier had a profound influence on the way people with mental and physical disabilities are perceived and treated today, and his writings have had a positive influence on people's lives within many different cultures and languages. Nonetheless, any harm that was done cannot be excused.

On Wednesday, 12 February 2020, the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia, the final document of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian Region held in Rome 6-27 October 2019, was published. The Holy Father states that while the Amazon region spreads over nine specific countries, the document is equally intended for the whole world, as we all share in the responsibility for this land, and he calls on all of us to recognize that "the Church's concern for the problems of this area obliges us to discuss, however briefly, a number of other important issues that can assist other areas of our world in confronting their own challenges" (n.5). The document outlines the Pope's reflections on four key wishes or dreams for the region and its people: a social dream (n.8-27), a cultural dream (n.28-40), an ecological dream (n.41-60), and an ecclesial dream (n.61-110).

The 28th World Day of the Sick will be celebrated, as it is every year, on 11 February, the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Holy See has released the Holy Father's Message which is entitled "Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (Mt 11:28). In his Message, Pope Francis writes: "On this XXVIII World Day of the Sick, Jesus repeats these words to the sick, the oppressed, and the poor. For they realize that they depend entirely on God and, beneath the burden of their trials, stand in need of his healing. Jesus does not make demands of those who endure situations of frailty, suffering and weakness, but offers his mercy and his comforting presence. He looks upon a wounded humanity with eyes that gaze into the heart of each person. That gaze is not one of indifference; rather, it embraces people in their entirety, each person in his or her health condition, discarding no one, but rather inviting everyone to share in his life and to experience his tender love."

Message of the Holy Father

Link to a text on the World Day of the Sick by Dr. Moira McQueen of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute

The National Week for Life and the Family will be celebrated across Canada 10 to 17 May 2020, with the start of the week coinciding with Mother's Day. For the eighth consecutive year, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is offering dioceses/eparchies, parishes as well as Catholic organizations and associations groups possible resources and options for planning and organizing local activities. The theme for 2020 is "Children: The Crowning Glory of Marriage". The resources have been prepared by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), working in collaboration and consultation with the CCCB, and are available online, and may be freely downloaded and reproduced by dioceses/eparchies, parishes and other non-profit groups.