(CCCB – Toronto) Youth ministry representatives from dioceses across Canada met in Toronto last week to begin the planning for World Youth Day 2002, which will be held in Canada’s dioceses and in Toronto from July 18-28, 2002.

The national forum attracted 148 delegates from 71 Canadian dioceses February 22-24 in what is the first gathering ever of those involved in youth ministry from all regions across the country. The forum was hosted by the World Youth Day 2002 national committee established by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to organize WYD 2002 that will see hundreds of thousands of young people from around the globe come to Canada at the invitation of Pope John Paul II. With less than 18 months before WYD 2002, forum participants spent time studying the ground work already laid out by the national committee and looking at the preparations needed to welcome the more than half million young pilgrims expected from around the world. They examined the implications of the event from community and pastoral points of view as well as the implications for housing, transportation, communications, event coordination, financing and the need for volunteers.

The national committee spent a great deal of time at the forum discussing the days in the dioceses, which is an important but separate WYD 2002 element from the Toronto activities. While Toronto will be the host to larger rallies and other major events from July 23-28, 2002, the young pilgrims coming to Canada will first be hosted in dioceses across the country from July 18-22 where they will be able to acquaint themselves with the Church in different parts of Canada. The days in the dioceses will also entail a major logistical challenge for diocesan organizers who take on complete responsibility for local activities and housing. The national committee chose the forum to unveil the WYD 2002 logo in the presence of federal, provincial and municipal representatives. The brightly coloured logo shows a cross symbolizing the presence of Jesus Christ. The shape of the cross is similar to the crozier or pastoral staff used by Pope John Paul II, who plans to attend WYD 2002. There is a yellow circle at the centre representing the youth who will attend WYD from around the globe. The blue section at the top represents the oceans and waters of Canada. The red maple leaf at the bottom represents Canada that will host the event.

The national director for WYD 2002, Rev. Thomas Rosica, CSB, expressed his delight at the overwhelming positive response that national organizers received from the diocesan representatives. “The obvious goodwill and spirit of cooperation that was present was extraordinary,” Father Rosica said. “The forum has given birth to a new and unique form of pastoral collaboration on the national level. I know that the experience of the past weekend is one of the first graces and blessings that World Youth Day brings to the Church in Canada.”

WYD 2002 Episcopal Committee members Bishop James Wingle, Bishop Anthony Meagher (chairman) and Bishop François Lapierre, PMÉ, at WYD logo unveiling.

(CCCB – Ottawa) Two Catholic organizations have come together to publish a leaflet entitled Giving Something of Ourselves to make better known the Catholic Church’s position on organ and tissue donations and transplantation.

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) and the Catholic Health Association of Canada (CHAC), taking their title directly from the words of Pope John Paul II, wish to outline the reasons why the Church supports organ donation and transplantation and to explain the ethical considerations to be respected.

Pope John Paul II, speaking at the 18th International Congress of the Transplantation Society in August 2000, described the gift of an organ as a noble gesture “which is a genuine act of love. It is not just a matter of giving something that belongs to us but of giving something of ourselves.”

The leaflet also examines the issues of xenotransplantation (the use of animal organs) and the cloning of human embryos. In the case of human embryos, both COLF and CHAC vigorously insist on Catholic teaching that states “the embryo is a human being and must be treated as a person.”

The leaflet encourages people to talk to their family and friends about decisions to donate organs and tissues. It goes on to say that the decision to donate belongs to each individual and that “organ donation is not an obligation: it is an act of self-giving. It is a decision made freely, based on knowledge, clarity of mind and concern for the needs of others.”

Giving Something of Ourselves may be obtained by contacting COLF at (613) 241-9461, ext. 230, or by electronic mail at ocfvcolf@cccb.ca. It is also available from CHAC at (613) 731-7148 or by electronic mail at chac@web.ca. For more information about both groups one can visit their websites at http://colf.cccb.ca and http://www.chac.ca. It is also available for viewing on the Internet in PDF format or text format.

COLF was jointly founded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus to promote respect for human life and dignity and the essential role of the family. CHAC is a national Christian association committed to health care in the tradition of the Catholic Church. It represents health care and social service organizations including 127 hospitals and homes, as well as health professionals involved in all levels of health care throughout the country.

Meeting of the Bishops of America
February 12-14, 2001
Clearwater, FL United States of America

For Immediate Release

A Call for Increased cooperation on Addressing the Issue of Migration in the Hemisphere

Over the last two days, bishops from Latin America, Canada and the United States held their annual meeting to discuss matters of critical concern for Church and society in the Western hemisphere. The meeting was the third since the publication of Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America calling for the development of closer links among people of this hemisphere in the new millennium. Last year’s meeting, whose principal theme was international debt, was held in Vancouver, Canada.

The group was pleased by the success of the Church’s advocacy in reducing the international debt. This was acknowledged by Pope John Paul II in his most recent Apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte when he stated:

I am happy to note that recently the Parliaments of many creditor States have voted a substantial remission of the bilateral debt of the poorest and most indebted countries… The question of multilateral debt contracted by poorer countries with international financial organizations has shown itself to be a rather more problematic issue.

At this year’s meeting, representative bishops from the Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano (CELAM, the Latin American Bishops’ Council), the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), and the USA National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) made reports on the issue of migration in the Western hemisphere. The bishops gave particular attention to the causes, effects and pastoral responses to the phenomenon of migration in the continent.

The issues of economic globalization and the effect it has as a causative factor on migration were central to their discussions. They endorsed the “globalization of solidarity”, a phrase often used by the Holy Father, and called for greater efforts to assure that human rights and responsibilities remain at the centre of concerns for economic, political and social development.

The bishops pledged themselves to find new means of cooperation for the pastoral care of those who exercise the basic right to migrate. They also addressed the issues of undocumented migration and the drain of human resources from the countries of Latin America. At the same time, they called for greater cooperation to promote economic development in the South.

Acknowledging the recent meeting between Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada and the newly elected President of the United Sates, as well as the forthcoming encounter between Presidents George W. Bush and Vincente Fox of Mexico, the bishops expressed the hope that these leaders include in their discussions on international cooperation the need to humanize economic globalization by taking more fully into account the challenges of migration.

(Ottawa — CCCB) Catholic bishops from Canada, the United States and Latin America will be examining the question of immigration when they meet in Clearwater, Florida, February 12-14, for the second Meeting of the Bishops of America.

The annual meeting was set up in response to Pope John Paul II’s call in his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America for the Church in America to reflect on the challenges it faces at the beginning of the new millennium.

The discussion on immigration will be examined from two perspectives, that of the countries from which people are emigrating and that of the countries welcoming the new immigrants and their families. The bishops will look at the causes and effects of immigration in an effort to look for ways the Churches in the different countries can collaborate with one another.

The meeting will also examine the problems being experienced by immigrants once they arrive in their new surroundings. This concern for immigration is inspired by Ecclesia in America where the bishops are reminded that:

the Church in America must be a vigilant advocate, defending against any unjust restriction the natural right of individual persons to move freely within their own nation and from one nation to another. Attention must be called to the rights of migrants and their families and to respect for their human dignity, even in the cases on non-legal immigration.

The delegates for this meeting are from the executive committees of the episcopal conferences of Canada and the United States and from CELAM, the association representing Latin American episcopal conferences. They will be accompanied some staff members. The CCCB delegation is made up of six people: Bishop Gerald Wiesner, OMI, of Prince George, President; Bishop Jacques Berthelet, CSV, of Saint Jean-Longueuil, Vice-President; Archbishop André Gaumond of Sherbrooke, Co-treasurer; Archbishop Brendan O’Brien of Saint John’s, Co-treasurer; Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, General Secretary; and Joe Gunn, Director of the Social Affairs Office. These informal meetings, formerly known as the Interamerican Meeting of Bishops, began in 1967. At their meeting in Cuba in 1999, and at the invitation of Pope John Paul II, the bishops renamed their gathering the Meeting of Bishops of the Church in America. The first meeting was held last year in Vancouver where the bishops discussed the eradication of poverty.

The Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America, made public by the Pope in Mexico in January 1999, was issued following the Synod for the Bishops of America, held in Rome in the fall of 1997.

(Ottawa — CCCB) The Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has sent an open letter to the members of Parliament calling upon them “to work for the common good and toward ending economic exclusion.”

The eight-page letter highlights several challenges facing not only politicians but all Canadian society. These include the widening gap between have and have-not Canadians, the increasing number of children living in poverty in Canada, the need for fairer tax reform based on the common good, the expansion of priority social programs such as home care and pharmacare, using the fiscal surplus to substantially increase aid to debt ridden countries and looking at ways of forgiving their debt, incentives to reduce greenhouse emissions and support for just land rights of Aboriginal peoples.

The letter, sent as the members of Parliament began their first week of official business in the new session of the House of Commons, aims at establishing a conversation on some of the major challenges Canada faces at the beginning of a new parliament and a new millennium.

The members of Parliament are encouraged to make the common good and the goal of ending economic exclusion “the guiding priority of political and legislative commitments.”

The document recalls the Commission’s 1996 Pastoral Letter on the Eradication of Poverty, where it noted particular concern that “four groups in Canadian society, namely, women, the indigenous, newcomers and children, were being marginalized by poverty.”

In 1998, the Social Affairs Commission had observed that “the rising tide of economic growth in Canada had not lifted all boats.” Today, the Commission says it fears that “rather than being marginalized, these groups are even being excluded.”

“What is new and dramatic is that large numbers of Canadians are being shoved into a situation of permanent injustice from which they may never be able to emerge.”

While inequality is not new, the letter says “What is new is that the new economy is promoting greater inequality faster than ever before.”

The open letter concludes by saying “the bishops hope that these suggestions will be enhanced by public debate and discussion, and they welcome feedback from all the Canadian community.”

The Commission also invited members of the new parliament to continue the dialogue with the Bishops.”We are also interested in meeting those Members of Parliament who are willing to deepen their reflection and broaden their dialogue on this topic. For our part, we will increase our own efforts to mirror in our own ministry, personal lives and economic decisions that same inclusiveness that Jesus’ life modelled.”

(CCCB—Ottawa) The recent decision by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Latimer affair brought to light many ethical questions that affect human life. A publication by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), entitled Choose Life, seeks to help promote reflection and discussion and to explain the different perspectives of Christian ethical thought in regards to life.

Choose Life was published in 1997 in leaflet format as a popularization of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae, which strongly reaffirmed the value of human life. The six-page leaflet is aimed at making people more aware of this important encyclical which challenges us to choose between a culture of life and a culture of death.

A booklet is also available containing workshop material that focuses on the Church’s vision of life in the face of such topics as euthanasia, assisted suicide, the death penalty, abortion and new reproductive technologies. The booklet is designed to be used by both young people and adults alike in order to deepen their understanding of the important ethical challenges of the contemporary world. It includes case studies, role-playing exercises, cartoons, suggested activities and additional suggestions for reflection and action.

The leaflet is offered free of charge (donations gratefully accepted) by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF). The workshop booklet as well as the encyclical Evangelium Vitae are available through the Publications Service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops at $14.95 and $4.95 respectively. Copies may be ordered by calling toll free at 1-800-769-1147 or by sending an e-mail to publi@cccb.ca. COLF, a joint project of the CCCB and the Knights of Columbus, may be reached at 1-613-241-9461, at ocvfcolf@cccb.ca, or the COLF website at http://colf.cccb.ca.

(Ottawa – CCCB) Rev. Richard Côté, OMI, until recently associate professor with the Institute of Mission Studies at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, has been appointed director of the Office of Theology for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). Holding degrees from Strasbourg and Angers, he fills a CCCB position that has been vacant since the October 2000 retirement of Rev Gilles Langevin, SJ.

After obtaining in 1967 a licentiate in theology from the University of Angers, France, and a doctorate in religious studies from the University of Strasbourg, France, Father Côté began his teaching career that same year at the National University of Lesotho in South Africa. He has also taught at Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, Mass.; Xavier University and Loyola University, New Orleans, and Pope John XXIII Seminary, Weston, Mass. On staff at Saint Paul University since 1987, he has been instrumental there in the growth of its Institute for Mission Studies, especially its ad intra program.

He has published extensively, with Paulist Press just having released his most recent book, Lazarus, Come Out! Reclaiming the Christian Imagination. A 1986 book, Holy Mirth: A Theology of Laughter, published by Twenty-Third Publications, was later translated and published in Japanese in 1992. He is also the author of Re-Visioning Mission: The Catholic Church and Culture in Postmodern America (Paulist Press, 1996), Universal Grace: Myth or Reality? (Orbis Books, 1977), and Could It Be? A Theological Reflection on American Values (Alba House, 1976). He has also been published in French, including the Dictionnaire des valeurs oblates and Communauté chrétienne.

In addition to having worked with and prepared reports for the Assemblée des évêques du Québec, Father Côté has for a number of years served on the advisory committee of Concilium, an international journal of theology, as well as associate editor of Mission, formerly Kerygma, a biannual journal of mission studies, and also associate editor of Ministry, a quarterly theological review for Africa.

In demand as a resource-person and speaker throughout Canada and Europe, he has served as provincial counsellor for the Lesotho province (1967-69) and the Northern USA province (1980-86) of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, as well as on the executive board of the USA Oblate formation conference.

Father Côté will begin his work with the CCCB on February 1, 2001. While his central role will be secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Theology, he will also assist the General Secretariat in other work relating to Conference activities.

This document is only available in French.

(Ottawa – CCCB) His Holiness Pope John Paul II today named Msgr. Martin William Currie, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Halifax and pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Truro, Nova Scotia, as the new Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland. Grand Falls has been without a Bishop since the appointment of Most Rev. J. Faber MacDonald as Bishop of Saint John, New Brunswick, in October 1998.

Bishop-elect Currie was born on December 11, 1943, at Marinette, Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, and ordained to the priesthood on May 12, 1968. He has served in a number of Nova Scotia parishes, including rector of Saint Mary’s Basilica in Halifax. He has also served as a high school chaplain and done pastoral ministry in Peru.

He has been both Vicar General and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Halifax, and during the 1998 episcopal vacancy was elected Diocesan Administrator. He has been pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish since 1999.

Bishop-elect Currie, who studied theology at Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax, was director of the Propagation of the Faith from 1982 until 1992, chaplain of the Halifax County Rehab Centre from 1986 until 1992, and chaplain of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society from 1988 until present.

The Diocese of Grand Falls has a Catholic population of 37,940 in 73 parishes and missions served by 30 diocesan priests, with 28 women religious.

(Ottawa – CCCB) The bishops of Canada have been asked by the Council for Reconciliation, Solidarity and Communion that special prayers be offered especially during the Advent season for the children and families of the Innu communities in Sheshatshiu and Davis Inlet, Labrador.

Media reports over the last month have depicted the horrific images of Innu children sniffing gasoline and the heart-rending requests for help from the adult communities in both Sheshatshiu and Davis Inlet.

The Council for Reconciliation, Solidarity and Communion, at a recent meeting in Edmonton, asked for the prayers as a sign of support for those communities as they struggle with the problems solvent abuse and poverty. Both communities have been plagued with solvent abuse and high levels of suicide for many years.

The request that was sent to the bishops of Canada reads:

That the pastors and faithful of the Church in Canada, especially during this Advent season, remember in prayer the Innu children of Sheshatshiu and Davis Inlet, Labrador and their families.

The Council was initiated by Canada’s bishops as part of a commitment made to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples to address in word and action all that continues to marginalize aboriginal peoples in Canada. It is focussed on strengthening the spiritual foundations to support reconciliation, solidarity and communion among Canada’s founding cultures.

Seven aboriginal Catholic leaders and two bishops make up the Council.

The request for the prayers was forwarded to the bishops by Council members Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, of Labrador City-Schefferville, and Bishop Denis Croteau, OMI, Bishop of MacKenzie-Fort Smith.