The Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper, has made the following two statements:

     On the elevation of Archbishop Thomas Collins to the College of Cardinals;

     Welcoming the decision to canonize Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

(CCCB – Ottawa)… The Most Rev. J. Faber MacDonald, Bishop Emeritus of Saint John, New Brunswick, died on Friday, February 17, 2012, in Charlottetown, at the age of 80.

Bishop MacDonald was born on January 20, 1932, in Little Pond, Prince Edward Island. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Charlottetown on March 9, 1963; appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Grand Falls, Newfoundland, by Pope John Paul II on January 11, 1980; ordained Bishop on March 19, 1980, in Saint. Dunstan’s Basilica, Charlottetown; and appointed Bishop of Saint John on October 23, 1998. His resignation as Bishop of Saint John was accepted by the Holy Father in September 2006 for reasons of health.

It is with great joy that the Bishops of Canada welcome the 18 February 2012 announcement that our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, will canonize Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, elevating her to sainthood this coming October. This event will be a great honour to all of North America, but also in a particular way to its Aboriginal Peoples, of whom Kateri will be the first to receive this dignity.

Because education in Canada is under provincial and territorial responsibility, it is the Catholic Bishops of each province or territory who respond to questions regarding their specific educational systems. All Bishops across the country will be carefully studying the decision today by the Supreme Court of Canada in the "Drummondville parents' case". If the Bishops decide the ruling may raise questions that extend beyond provincial responsibilities, they will discuss any such concerns at their regional episcopal assemblies and possibly also at the meetings of their national assembly, which is the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

(CECC – Ottawa)… The Archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal-designate Thomas Collins, with 21 other Bishops or priests will be elevated to the College of Cardinals during the Consistory that will take place in Vatican City on February 18, 2012.  The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, had announced the nomination of the new Cardinals on January 6, 2012. Archbishop Collins will become the fourth Cardinal in the history of the Archdiocese of Toronto and the 16th Cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in Canada.  Canada will now have three Cardinals.  The two others are His Eminence Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, Archbishop of Montreal, and His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and former Archbishop of Quebec City. 

During a Consistory in Rome on February 18, 2012, the Holy Father will make Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto a member of the College of Cardinals.  Salt + Light Television presents six interviews with the Cardinal-designate.  

Part I: Before leaving Toronto to go to Rome

Part II: On the Streets of Rome

Part III: Archbishop Collins and Fr. Keenan on the rooftop

Part IV: February 16, 2012

Part V: February 17, 2012

Part VI: February 20, 2012

(CCCB – Ottawa)… With the 2012 Lenten season beginning on February 22, the Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), has written a message of encouragement for the annual Share Lent campaign of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP).  In his message, Archbishop Smith invites Catholics to give generously and demonstrate their solidarity with the Development and Peace mission to the poor.

Subsequent to the recent episcopal appointments by the Holy Father, the dioceses concerned have elected the following Administrators, as required by Canon 421 §1:

The Most Rev. Vital Massé, Bishop Emeritus of Mont-Laurier, has been elected Administrator of the Diocese of Mont-Laurier, effective until March 15, 2012, the date on which the Most Rev. Paul Lortie is installed as Bishop of Mont-Laurier;

The Most Rev. Martin Veillette, Bishop Emeritus of Trois-Rivières, has been elected Administrator of the Diocese of Trois-Rivières, effective until March 26, 2012, the date on which the Most Rev. Luc Bouchard is installed as Bishop of Trois-Rivières.

During the Symposium entitled “Towards Healing and Renewal”, His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, led a Penitential Vigil at Saint Ignatius Church in Rome on February 7, 2012. Here is the text of his homily:

Cardinal Ouellet’s homily (PDF) 

“Stand up and go; your faith has saved you” (Luke 17.19) is the central theme for the Holy Father’s Message for the 20^th World Day of the Sick, celebrated on February 11, 2012. In his annual message, Pope Benedict XVI assures all those who are sick of his spiritual closeness and of the solicitude and affection of the whole Church. “In the generous and loving welcoming of every human life, above all of weak and sick life, a Christian expresses an important aspect of his or her Gospel witness, following the example of Christ,” the Pope says, as he explains that Jesus accepted human sufferings “in order to heal them”.

Links

Message of the Holy Father 

Catholic Health Alliance of Canada 

Resources available: Order form

For the opening of the Symposium for Catholic Bishops and Religious Superiors on Sexual Abuse of Minors being held at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, February 6 to 9, 2012, His Eminence William Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gave the first intervention. His text is entitled "The Sexual Abuse of Minors: A Multi-faceted Response to the Challenge". 

The Most Reverend Robert Anthony Daniels, Bishop of Grand Falls, and Father René Roy, from the Archdiocese of Quebec City, are the delegates of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops at this symposium. 

Message from the Holy Father

PDF version of Cardinal Levada’s intervention

Link to the Symposium website

(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today accepted the resignations of the Most Reverend Vital Massé as Bishop of Mont-Laurier, and the Most Reverend Martin Veillette as Bishop of Trois-Rivières. The Code of Canon Law requires all Bishops to offer their resignations when they reach the age of 75.  The Holy Father has named the Most Reverend Paul Lortie to Mont-Laurier and the Most Reverend Luc Bouchard to Trois-Rivières.