This document is only available in French.

Sister Nirmala Joshi
Superior General
Missionaries of Charity
54/A AJC Bose Road
Calcutta 700016
INDIA

Dear Sister Nirmala:

Please convey to the members of your community the prayers and condolences of the Catholic Bishops of Canada on the death of your founder, Mother Teresa.

Through her selfless devotion to the poor and homeless, her constant call for charity and compassion, and her robust example of Christian service, Mother Teresa became a living symbol of the love and compassion of Jesus Christ not only for the faithful but for the whole world.

While remembering her in prayer, the pastors and faithful of the Church in Canada are also convinced that Mother Teresa is already interceding for all – her community, the universal Church, the city of Calcutta and, especially, the impoverished, the homeless and the dying everywhere.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+ Francis J. Spence
Archbishop of Kingston
President
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

This document is only available in French.

Representatives of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) have today received a Message to the Bishops presented by Catholics of Vision – Canada. Those representing the CCCB were its two Co-Treasurers – Most Reverend Henri Goudreault, OMI, Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan, and Most Reverend Gerald Wiesner, OMI, Bishop of Prince George – together with the Conference’s two General Secretaries – Reverend Douglas Crosby, OMI, and Reverend Émilius Goulet, PSS.

The Message indicates that it represents the concerns of some 6,000 Catholics from across Canada. The representatives of the CCCB promised that the Message will be studied carefully and appropriate follow-up considered with respect to those recommendations and suggestions that are pastorally opportune at the national level of the Church in Canada.

Ottawa — (CCCB) … Paris is preparing to greet hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world for the August 18-24 World Youth Days which will be held in the French capital. More than 2300 young Canadians from fifty Canadian dioceses will take part in this great celebration of Christian faith.

World Youth Day in Paris, the seventh of its kind — the last meeting in the Philippines two years ago had gathered over two million participants — enables young people from everywhere to demonstrate the joy of togetherness and share intense moments of fraternity by participating in activities including two great gatherings presided by Pope John Paul II, one evening event, Saturday, August 23, and a Papal mass the following day.

Two of four events will be broadcast by Le réseau de l’information (R.D.I.) during a nine-hour coverage (plus repeats) of the Holy Father’s visit to France. The schedule is as follows: August 21, 1997 Holy Father’s arrival 9:30-12:00 10:30-1:30am (repeat) August 22, 1997 Mass at the Cathedral 9:30-11:00 August 23, 1997 Evening vigil with the Pope 1:30-5:00 10:30-1:30am(repeat) August 24, 1997 Papal Mass 8:30-11:00 10:00-00:30am (repeat)

A few days earlier, the sixth International Youth Forum will also be held in Paris from August 14 to 18. This Forum, held every two years, is being sponsored by the Pontifical Council of the Laity. It will see the participants from around the world reflect on the major issues challenging the modern world and will inspire them to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Prior to the Forum and to World Youth Day, several of the groups are guests of various dioceses in France, a unique innovation to the program.

Other Information – Statistics: ——60% of the Canadian delegation is English speaking; between 750 and 800 Quebecers, almost a third of the Canadian delegation, will be going to France; ——women form 75% of the Canadian delegation; ——seventeen Canadian bishops are attending; ——in Paris, young people will find ccommodation in schools, hotels or with French families.

The Paris rally is the seventh of its kind after Rome, St Jacques de Compostelle, Buenos aires, Czestochowa, Denver and Manilla. “Master, where are you staying? Come and See” is the theme of the 1997 World Youth Day.

For interviews with Canadian bishops and groups and for media reports, contact Father Douglas Crosby, General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and Gérald Baril, Assistant General Secretary of the same Conference at their headquarters at Les Filles de la sagesse, 80 rue de la Tombe Issoire, tel.: 011-1 43 27 79 10. For information on different groups or for any other information on World Youth Day 1997, please contact the Communications Services of the CCCB.

OTTAWA — (CCCB) President Archbishop Francis J. Spence of Kingston today met with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation President Perrin Beatty in Toronto to discuss the statement Michael Enright made in a Globe and Mail article on May 10. Mr. Enright characterized the Roman Catholic Church as “the greatest criminal organization outside of the mafia.”

The Globe and Mail article focussed on Mr. Enright’s probable succession to Peter Gzowski as host of the Morningside radio program, one of the most influential radio jobs in Canada. Since that article appeared, Mr. Enright has been appointed to that position. While the comments was not made “on air”, Archbishop Spence was concerned that someone holding such a clearly biased opinion would hold such a position of influence with Canadians.

The CCCB asked for an immediate apology and a public retraction of the statement by Mr. Enright. While Mr. Enright did respond in a letter to the editor in the Globe and Mail, and a personal letter to Archbishop Spence, Mr. Enright’s response was not deemed to be an apology but rather an explanation of why he said what he did. In his meeting with Mr. Beatty, Archbishop Spence once again asked that Mr. Enright issue “a full, frank and unequivocal public apology stating what he originally said was wrong, unacceptable, offensive and unfounded.” Archbishop Spence noted there are 13 million Roman Catholics in Canada and the statement was an offense to all Catholics. The CCCB president also discussed concerns among Canada’s Catholics about the CBC’s fairness toward the Catholic Church, and about its lack of background information when producing items about the Church. It was felt by many that if a similar remark had been made by Mr. Enright regarding other faith groups, racial minorities or other identifiable groups, his nomination as the new morning host might have been put into question.

Archbishop Spence asked the CBC president to assure an ongoing dialogue between the CBC and the CCCB, as well as with other faith groups, in order to remedy some of these problems. He also suggested to Mr. Beatty that the CBC be a full participant in an upcoming national symposium on religion and media to be held in Ottawa next June.

The CCCB felt it had to object to the Enright statement because of an increasing climate of disregard in the media in general towards religious commitment and concerns about objectivity, fairness and balance in the media when it comes to religion.

OTTAWA — (CCCB) His Holiness Pope John Paul II today accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Raymond Roy as Bishop of St. Paul, Alberta and named Coadjutor-Bishop Thomas Collins as his successor. Bishop Collins was named Coadjutor-Bishop of St. Paul on March 25.

Bishop Collins was born in Guelph, Ontario on January 16, 1947 and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Hamilton on May 5, 1973. His episcopal ordination was on May 14, 1997.

He received his Bachelor of Arts from Waterloo University in 1969; a Master of Arts in English from the University of Western Ontario in London and a Bachelor of Theology degree from Saint Peter’s Seminary, both in 1973; a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome in 1978, and a Doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1986.

Bishop Collins served as Assistant Pastor, Holy Rosary Parish in Burlington, Ontario from 1973 to 1974, and Assistant Pastor at Christ the King Cathedral in Hamilton, Ontario from 1974 to 1975. He was Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dogmatic Theology at Saint Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario from 1978 until 1997, Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Vice-Rector from 1992 to 1995 and became Rector in 1995.

Bishop Roy, 76, served for 25 years as Bishop of St. Paul. His resignation was accepted by the Pope, having reached the mandatory retirement age.

The Diocese of Saint Paul has a Catholic population of 53,365 in 80 parishes and missions and is served by 34 priests and 74 religious.

OTTAWA ­­ (CCCB) The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) has just released two documents, one on the family and, the other, a popular summary of Evangelium Vitae.

The first document, simply entitled The Family, is a message for the International Day of the Family to be held on May 15. It has been printed as a four-page leaflet and offered to the dioceses at no cost. So far more than 200,000 copies have been printed and distributed. It situates the family as a school of love for life in our modern world, and as a sanctuary of life at the heart of the world. While being released to mark the United Nations’ initiated International Day of the Family, COLF organizers hope the message on the family can be used year round as a tool for discussion and meditation.

The second document entitled Choose Life! is a summary of the papal encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life). It is aimed at making people aware of the existence of this important encyclical that challenges us to choose between a culture of life and a culture of death. The six-page leaflet is also preparing the way for a series of workshops that will focus on the Church’s vision of life to be published in the fall.

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family is a joint project of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus. Its objectives are to promote the teaching of the Catholic Church on respect for human life and the inherent dignity of the human person, to support and strengthen the fundamental role of the family in society, and to promote the Church’s teaching on natural family planning.

OTTAWA — (CCCB) The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will be sending two Canadian couples to the Second World Meeting with the Holy Father to be held October 4th and 5th in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Sharon and Robert Harland of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Louise Couture and her husband Luc Chapleau of Roxboro, Quebec have been chosen by the CCCB Executive Committee.

Mrs. Harland is a national executive member of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada (CWL), and a member of the board of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF). The Roxboro couple are actively involved in marriage preparation in the Archdiocese of Montreal. Louise Couture is also a psychotherapist specializing in work with couples and families.

This meeting of the Pope with families will be preceded October 1st to 3rd in Rio by a theological and Pastoral Congress whose theme is The Family: Gift and Commitment, Hope for Humanity. Both events will end with a festive meeting with the Holy Father with testimonies from families at Maracana Stadium followed by a Eucharistic Celebration in Aterro do Flamengo, in the heart of Rio, presided by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.

OTTAWA ­­ (CCCB) More than 2,200 young people from many dioceses and youth organizations across Canada will be attending the XII World Youth Day being held in Paris from August 18 to 24. This huge gathering is being organized by the French bishops at the request of the Holy Father. It will see young people between the ages of 18 and 35 from around the world share their experiences, their cultures, their faith and examine issues that affect them.

Among the many activities planned include two major meetings with Pope John Paul II: an evening with His Holiness on Saturday, August 23, and a Mass the following morning. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will be actively involved in this world youth event. More than 20 Canadian bishops will be attending along with General Secretary Father Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., (English language) and Assistant General Secretary Gérald Baril, (French language).

A few days earlier, the sixth International Youth Forum will also be held in Paris from August 14 to 18. This forum, held every two years, is being sponsored by the Pontifical Council of the Laity. It will see the participants from around the world reflect on the major issues challenging the modern world and inspire them to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Each episcopal conference as well as international Catholic organizations will send two delegates each to the forum. In Canada, the Atlantic Episcopal Assembly and the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops were mandated to send two delegates. They are Paula Lagacé, a 21-year-old pastoral animator from Népisiguit Secondary School in Bathurst, New Brunswick, and Daniel Moynihan, a 23-year-old pastoral youth worker from Saint Clair Beach, Ontario.

The Paris rally is the seventh one following those held in Rome, Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Buenos Aires, Czestochowa, Denver and Manila. This year’s World Youth Day Theme is: “Master, where are you staying?” Come and See.