Documents
That We All Might Have Life, in Abundance
Wednesday, June 12 2002
(CCCB – Calgary) -- The Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is calling on the G-8 leaders to keep in mind the plight of the poorer nations, especially those in Africa, when the world leaders gather in Kananaskis, Alberta, June 26-27. Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary (right) and Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, P.H., General Secretary of the CCCB Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary,…
Ending Violence in Sudan: Bishops ask that Canada Pension Fund Money Not Be Invested in Talisman Energy
Monday, April 08 2002
Honourable Bill Graham Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade 125 Sussex Drive Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2 Dear Mr. Graham: In writing to you for the first time in your role as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, please be assured of our most prayerful good wishes as you address the many complicated issues that our country must face on the world scene. In a meeting…
Letter to the Guatemalan Ambassador to Canada from the CCCB Human Rights Committee
Tuesday, April 02 2002
Ambassador Carlos Humberto Jiménez Guatemalan Ambassador to Canada 130 Albert St., Suite 1010, Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 Excellency, I write to express our concern as we receive continuing reports of death threats being made against the Bishop of San Marcos, Monsignor Alvaro Ramazzini, and one of his priests, Father Juan José Aldaz. Remembering the 1998 assassination of Monsignor Juan Gerardi as a result of the…
Trading Away the Future to Private Enterprise
Tuesday, February 05 2002
(Ottawa - CCCB)... A new background paper from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) examines how free trade can limit the power of governments to provide environmental protection in allowing private companies to sue sovereign states for perceived profit losses. A variety of organizations, including church groups, have expressed grave concern about this provision in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The actual…
The Common Good or Exclusion: A Choice for Canadians
Friday, February 02 2001
New Millennium, New Government, New Resolve? 1. On November 27, 2000, Canadians elected a majority Liberal government to lead the country into the new millennium. Four other political parties will also be represented in the House of Commons. While electoral campaigns should be privileged opportunities for all citizens to reflect on their most deeply held social values,1 the heat of partisan electoral contests seldom contributes…
Discerning Electoral Options: A Pastoral Reflection from the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs
Tuesday, October 31 2000
The approach of a federal election presents a privileged opportunity for people of good will to prayerfully reflect on the health of our life together as a caring community. It is also an occasion to ask ourselves what kind of society we want. But how do we sort through sophisticated, overwhelming and often contradictory messages? What criteria should we use in deciding to support one…
Letter to Federal Minister Lloyd Axeworthy Concerning the Status of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
Wednesday, August 16 2000
The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade 125 Sussex Drive Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2 Dear Mr. Axworthy: I am writing concerning the status of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which was adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by the General Assembly of the United…
Letter to the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, from the Chairman of the CCCB’s Social Affairs Commission, Archbishop James Weisgerber, Demanding that Canada End Economic Sanctions against Iraq
Wednesday, August 09 2000
The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade 125 Sussex Drive Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2 Dear Mr. Axworthy: I write to you concerning the tenth anniversary (August 6) of the imposition of sanctions against Iraq, in order to join the voice of the Canadian bishops to the growing chorus of opinion in Canada that demands an immediate end to the horrendous economic…
Open Letter to Members of Parliment regarding the Tobin Tax
Monday, March 20 2000
Open Letter to Members of Parliament, On March 23rd, 1999, the Canadian Parliament demonstrated world leadership when it passed motion M-239 urging Canada to "enact a tax on financial transactions in concert with the international community." This unprecedented action was viewed by many as an important first step in controlling destabilising speculation on financial markets, the wild and anarchic behaviour of which threatens all the…
Lettre aux présidents de Sears Canada et de La Baie d’Hudson concernant un code canadien des pratiques du travail (This document is only available in French)
Wednesday, November 24 1999
This document is only available in French.
Calling out the Prophetic Tradition: Celebrating Fifty Years of Social Teaching
Thursday, October 14 1999
Corwall (CCCB)-- Canada's Roman Catholic bishops today reaffirmed their commitment to social justice at their annual Plenary meeting in Cornwall, Ontario. The President of the Social Affairs Commission, Bishop Francois Thibodeau of Edmundston, referred to the justice work of the Commission as a "precious and valuable tool at the very heart of our daily pastoral work." This Plenary marks the fiftieth year that the Canadian…
Statement of the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs concerning the Eradication of Poverty
Thursday, October 15 1998
In his Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente His Holiness Pope John Paul II sets the agenda for the Church's preparation for the Jubilee Year 2000 with a remarkable stress on the social dimension of this event. The Holy Father states that, "Indeed, it has to be said that a commitment to justice and peace...is a necessary condition for the preparation and celebration of the Jubilee."(1)…
CCCB Pastoral Letter on the Elimination of Poverty
Thursday, October 17 1996
Ottawa -- (CCCB) As part of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty,the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops today issued a Pastoral Letter on the causes and effects of poverty. The letter was released at a news conference in Halifax this morning by Commission chairman Bishop François Thibodeau of Edmunston, and Commission member Archbishop Marcel Gervais of…
The Struggle Against Poverty: A Sign of Hope in our World
Thursday, October 17 1996
PASTORAL LETTER BY THE EPISCOPAL COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL AFFAIRS ON THE ELIMINATION OF POVERTY HALIFAX, OCTOBER 17, 1996 Today, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, in the year of the same theme, the world community has highlighted the urgency of this task in a special way.1 We, the members of the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs, invite people of good faith to reflect…