Toronto, ON –The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) presented its inaugural Dr. Victor Goldbloom Award for Outstanding Interfaith Leadership on 6 June 2017 to The Most Rev. John A. Boissonneau, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto. As one of its four Vicars General, Bishop Boissonneau serves the Western Region of the Archdiocese while also working in various capacities to advance interfaith dialogue and cooperation, including as Co-Chair of the ongoing national dialogue between the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and CIJA’s Canadian Rabbinic Caucus.

“It is a pleasure to celebrate the work of Bishop Boissonneau in a manner that honours Victor’s extraordinary legacy,” said Shimon Koffler Fogel, CEO of CIJA. “In addition to his many achievements, Bishop Boissonneau has proven an exceptional interfaith bridge-builder by playing a pivotal role in the national Jewish-Catholic dialogue – the first of its kind in Canada. Our community has been touched by his dedication, thoughtfulness, warmth and good humour – all of which, combined with his record of contribution, make him a fitting recipient for the inaugural Dr. Victor Goldbloom Award.”

Upon receiving the award, Bishop Boissonneau stated: “I wish to commend CIJA on its timely and universally applauded effort to both maintain the spirit of Dr. Goldbloom and to encourage the essential work of dialogue between our various faith communities. I am deeply moved to have been considered as the inaugural recipient of this award. In accepting it, I do so only with the recognition that I am a small player in a large ensemble of dedicated women and men who will always look to Victor Goldbloom for inspiration.”

“In devoting much of his life to strengthening interfaith ties, my father was an inspiration for so many within and beyond the Jewish community,” noted Jonathan Goldbloom, son of Victor Goldbloom, and current CIJA Board member. “I am humbled that his work continues to be a light unto others, and I am pleased that – through this annual award – his name will be blessing for leaders of other faiths who carry this torch in the years to come.”

The Dr. Victor Goldbloom Award for Outstanding Interfaith Leadership has been launched as an annual initiative to recognize the contributions of leaders from various faith communities in advancing interfaith relations. The late Dr. Victor Goldbloom, after a lifetime of service as a medical doctor, elected official, and interfaith leader, was first elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in 1966, and was appointed Quebec’s first Jewish provincial cabinet minister in 1970. The many honours bestowed upon Dr. Goldbloom include being named an Officer of the Ordre National du Québec and a Companion of the Order of Canada. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI made him a Knight of the Order of Saint Sylvester for his outstanding contribution to promoting Christian-Jewish dialogue and understanding.

(CCCB – Ottawa)… The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), has joined other Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Bahá’í faith leaders in Canada in launching a national appeal to help address the famines in South Sudan and the extreme food shortages in Yemen, northeast Nigeria and Somalia. Each of the participating faith communities is mobilizing in response to “one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises since the Second World War: the grim reality of multiple famines occurring simultaneously in four separate countries.”

In February 2017, the United Nations declared there are 20 million people, including 1.4 million vulnerable children, at risk of death over the coming months in these four countries. This crisis results from ongoing armed conflicts and severe droughts, with hundreds of thousands of people being displaced from their homes and land. According to the UN, the crisis far exceeds the current availability of resources and the amount of funding committed so far by the international community.

The religious leaders’ “unified cry from the heart” calls for a threefold response from their faithful:

Pray: To remember the people of South Sudan, Somalia, northern Nigeria and Yemen in their personal and community prayer, and to pray also for peace, for government leaders and for humanitarian workers in the region.

Give: To make a financial contribution to one or more of the various reputable Canadian aid agencies working to alleviate this crisis. Contributions made to a recognized Canadian charity between 17 March to 30 June 2017 will be matched by the Government of Canada with its recently announced “Famine Relief Fund“.

Speak out: To take the time to become better informed about the crisis in the four countries; to speak about it with family, friends and neighbours; to discuss it with local community agencies; and to contact Members of Parliament.

The religious leaders unequivocally single out the protracted violence in South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen as the leading cause of the humanitarian crisis, insisting: “Our federal government has made known its intention to participate more fully at the UN Security Council in the coming years. Now is the moment for our Prime Minister and all Canadian leaders to live up to that aspiration by speaking out clearly and consistently to end the violence taking place in South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen […] Canada’s voice must be heard in this dire moment, especially as it celebrates 150 years of Confederation.”

In addition to the joint appeal by the religious leaders, the CCCB has circulated to the Catholic Bishops of Canada and also published on its own website suggested Prayers of the Faithful relating to the crisis, which can be adapted, and a factsheet outlining the dire humanitarian dimension of the situation. Catholic parishes across the country are organizing special collections, and many are expected to plan efforts to respond to this appeal this June as well as over summer and into the fall. Donations can be sent electronically to any of the following Catholic aid agencies ready to forward contributions to assist efforts in the four countries:

–Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace:
https://www.devp.org/en/famine-relief-fund 
Phone: 1 888 664-3387

–Aid to the Church in Need Canada:
www.acn-aed-ca.org/iamstarving 
Phone: 1-800-585-6333

–Canadian Jesuits International
http://www.canadianjesuitsinternational.ca/2017/06/05/famine-relief-appeal/ 
Phone: 1-800-448-2148

Resources:

–An Interfaith Appeal from Canada’s Faith Communities

–Famine Relief Fund – Fact Sheet

–Prayers of the Faithful

–Ways to Donate

To highlight and celebrate the 375th anniversary of the founding of Montreal, the Most Reverend Christian Lépine, Archbishop of Montreal, will preside at a Eucharistic celebration in Notre-Dame Basilica, 17 May 2017 at 9:00 a.m., in the presence of a number of Bishops from Quebec and other parts of Canada, among whom will be the Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). A number of other dignitaries will also be present, including the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Quebec, the Honorable Philippe Couillard, together with His Worship Mr. Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montreal. The celebration will be broadcast live by RDI/Radio-Canada (CBC News World). Fifteen minutes before the Mass, at 8:45 a.m., the oldest bell of Saint Joseph Oratory will begin a peal of bell ringing from all Montreal’s churches, signaling the celebration of the founding of Ville-Marie on 17 May, 375 years ago.

Every year since 1917, a Mass commemorating the founding of Montreal is celebrated at Notre-Dame Basilica, normally followed by a civic and military ceremony by the Régiment de Maisonneuve at Place d’Armes. This is not the case this year as the Regiment is on a mission to help people affected by the floods. The Régiment de Maisonneuve is a primary reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, dating back to 1880. This traditional ceremony began with the city’s 275th anniversary at the instigation of a well-known Quebec notary, writer and politician, Mr. Victor Morin, at that time President of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal and of the Société historique de Montréal and later President of the Royal Society of Canada.

On 8 December 2016, Archbishop Lépine issued a pastoral letter for the 375th anniversary. Entitled “In the Name of Jesus”, it highlights “the spiritual dimension of our city’s origins and its history”. The letter is available in English and in French, as well as in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Polish, and Creole.

Link to the pastoral letter by Archbishop Lépine

As part of its 34th General Assembly, the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) will highlight the 20th anniversary of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for America and the 10th anniversary of CELAM’s Aparecida meeting. The Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean will be meeting in San Salvador, El Salvador, 9 to 12 May 2017. The Most Reverend Daniel Jodoin, Bishop of Bathurst, will represent the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). He has been invited to speak on two topics: Aparecida’s Concluding Document and its pertinence for Canada, and the Canadian reception of the Synod of America and its ensuing Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in America.

Among the major speakers addressing the CELAM meeting will be His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, who is Archbishop Emeritus of Québec. His presentation will be on The Synod of the Bishops for America: reality and perspectives. Cardinal Ouellet will also preside at a Eucharistic celebration marking the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of San Salvador. The 2017 CELAM General Assembly also marks the centenary of the birth of Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, who was martyred in 1980 while celebrating Mass.

The Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for America was held in Rome, 16 November to 12 December 1997, on the theme Encounter with the Living Jesus Christ: the Way to Conversion, Communion and Solidarity in America. The Canadian delegation included 12 Bishops, the CCCB General Secretary and several other CCCB staff. The Aparecida Concluding Document was issued by the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, which met in Aparecida, Brazil, during May 2007. The Holy Father, then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was its principal writer.

Link to the website of CELAM

(CCCB – Ottawa)… The Bishops of Canada are invited to consecrate the country to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary as part of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Each Bishop is invited to consecrate his individual diocese or eparchy on 1 July 2017 or at another date thereabouts that might better suit the local pastoral situation. Similarly, a Bishop may choose to invite pastors to consecrate their specific parish or mission as part of the celebrations marking the anniversary of Confederation.

Later in the year, all the Bishops of Canada will be invited to participate jointly in the consecration of the country to the Blessed Mother following the celebration of the Holy Eucharist during the CCCB Plenary Assembly in September 2017.

The adult catechetical resource which the CCCB has prepared explains that the consecration is a “renewal of our first consecration at Baptism” but “in the particular form of a personal pledge”. Noting that the Blessed Mother shines forth “in the community of believers as the perfect example, icon, and model of what it means to live by faith”, the resource affirms that “in imploring Our Lady’s help … we welcome with joy and enthusiasm the joys of discipleship in the work of the New Evangelization.” As well as showing how consecration to Mary is linked with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the adult catechetical resource also mentions the examples of recent Popes who consecrated or entrusted the Church to Mary, while noting the importance of devotion to Mary in the history of the Church in Canada as well as universally.

To assist dioceses and eparchies in the consecration, the CCCB has prepared a number of resources. In the coming weeks, an abridged version of the prayer of consecration will also be made available for the personal use of the faithful. Prepared by the CCCB General Secretariat with the assistance of the English and French National Liturgy Offices as well as the English Sector Office for Evangelization and Catechesis, the resources include:

1) Text of the prayer of consecration
© Concacan Inc., 2017. All rights reserved. This resource may be reproduced without permission for non-commercial purposes by dioceses/eparchies, parishes and other religious organizations. For all other usage, please contact permissions@cccb.ca. 

2) Insights for adult catechesis
3) Catechetical activity for children (6-8 years old)
4) Catechetical activity for children (9-11 years old)
5) Personal prayer card for consecration

Beginning with the early Jesuit missionaries who consecrated their missions to Mary Immaculate, a number of Canadian dioceses, eparchies, parishes, schools, cities and buildings have been named in her honour. The first time the country as a whole was consecrated to the Blessed Mother took place in 1947 during the National Marian Congress which was held in Ottawa. Ranked at the time as the largest religious gathering until then in North America, the celebration marked the centenary of the Archdiocese of Ottawa and focused on the hope for lasting world peace. A message by Pope Pius XII was broadcast during the Eucharist and was carried by a number of radio stations across the country. The prayer of consecration was led in French and English by two federal Cabinet ministers, the Right Honourable Louis St-Laurent, then Secretary of State for External Affairs, and the Honourable James J. McCann, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of War Services. Archival information on the 1947 consecration is available on the website https://sites.google.com/site/mariancongress1947/.

As part of the 1954 Marian Year, during a celebration at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Cape, near Trois-Rivières, Quebec, all the Catholic Bishops of Canada, led by Their Eminences James Cardinal McGuigan and Paul-Émile Léger, then Archbishop of Toronto and Archbishop of Montreal respectively, consecrated the country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That first of what until now have been two Marian Years declared by the Supreme Pontiff marked the centenary of the solemn proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. More information on the National Shrine (in French, Notre-Dame-du-Cap) is available on its bilingual website, https://www.sanctuaire-ndc.ca/.

His Holiness Pope Francis will be travelling to Egypt, April 28-29, 2017, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; His Holiness Tawadros II, Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church; Sheik Ahmed Mohamed al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University; and His Beatitude Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria. The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Mr. Gregory Joseph Burke, has remarked that the visit has a threefold purpose: a pastoral dimension directed to the local Catholic Churches; an ecumenical dimension, to be in solidarity with the broader Christian communities, focusing particularly on the Coptic Orthodox Church; and an inter-religious dimension, to dialogue with the Muslim people of Egypt.

Commenting on his upcoming Apostolic Visit, Pope Francis stated in his video message to the people of Egypt, “I would like this visit to be a witness of my affection, comfort and encouragement for all the Christians of the Middle East, a message of friendship and respect for all the inhabitants of Egypt and the region, and a message of brotherhood and reconciliation with all the children of Abraham, particularly the Muslim world, in which Egypt holds so important a place.”

Pope Francis will be joined by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His Holiness Bartholomew I, on April 28 when they will be received by Sheik Ahmed Mohamed al-Tayeb at the Al-Azhar University. There, the three religious leaders will address an international peace conference which is being hosted and coordinated by the university, which is the main centre for Islamic learning in the world for Sunni Muslims.

The Apostolic Visit follows the tragic terrorist attacks on Palm Sunday this year when bombs exploded in two Coptic Orthodox churches. Reflecting on these events, Pope Francis remarked, “Our world is torn by blind violence, a violence that has also struck the heart of your beloved land. Our world needs peace, love and mercy. It needs peacemakers, people who are free and who set others free, men and women of courage who can learn from the past in order to build the future, free of every form of prejudice. Our world needs people who can build bridges of peace, dialogue, fraternity, justice and humanity.”

This is the second time that the head of the universal Catholic Church has made an Apostolic Visit to Egypt. Saint Pope John Paul II visited the country in 2000. Catholics in Egypt make up less than one percent of the Egyptian population, numbering about 200,000 out of a total population of 91.5 million. They are members of seven Catholic Churches: the Coptic, Melkite, Maronite, Syriac, Armenian, Chaldean, and Latin.

Link to Pope Francis’ Message

Link to the schedule of Salt + Light TV on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Visit to Egypt 

(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Francis today named the Most Reverend Daniel J. Miehm Bishop of the Diocese of Peterborough. At the time of his appointment, he was Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton. Bishop Miehm succeeds the Most Reverend William Terrence McGrattan who was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary on 4 January 2017. Since his installation as Bishop of Calgary this past 27 February, Bishop McGrattan serves also as Apostolic Administrator of Peterborough until the installation of the new Bishop.

Born in 1960 in Kitchener, Ontario, Bishop Miehm studied at St. Jerome’s College of the University of Waterloo; St. Augustine’s Seminary, Toronto; Saint Paul University, Ottawa; and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Rome, where he earned a licentiate in canon law in 1996. On 6 May 1989, he was ordained priest for the Diocese of Hamilton, and named Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton on 20 February 2013.

Bishop-elect Miehm has also been a Judge and Defender of the Bond of the Hamilton Office of the Toronto Regional Tribunal (1996-2012); an elected representative on the Diocesan Personnel Board (1998-2004); member of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Hamilton (2002-2004); member of the Board for Hamilton Catholic Family Services (2002-2008), of which he was President for three years; and a member of the Board of Governors of St. Augustine’s Seminary, Toronto. At the provincial level, he has served as a member of the Professional Conduct Committee of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (2004-2010). As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Miehm serves as Catholic Co-Chair of the Hindu-Catholic Dialogue, member of the Standing Committee on Canon Law and as Episcopal Liaison with Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry.

According to the CCCB 2017 Directory, the Diocese of Peterborough has 64 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 99,785 served by 61 diocesan priests, 12 priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life, 13 permanent deacons, 72 religious Sisters and two Brothers who are members of religious institutes, as well as two lay pastoral workers.

(CCCB – Ottawa)… In 2017, Canada’s Catholic Bishops of the Latin Rite, as well as the Eparchial Bishops and Apostolic Exarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches whose Sees are based in Canada, will travel to Rome for their Ad Limina visits to the Holy See. Beginning 13 March and ending 12 May, the Bishops will attend in four different groups, based on their participation in the Regional Episcopal Assemblies of the country. Although traditionally scheduled every five years, the last Ad Limina visit for the Bishops of Canada was in 2006.

Pope Francis will receive the Bishops of each region, and an overview of the life of the Church in the region will be given. In addition to their audience with the Holy Father, the Bishops will also meet with officials of the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia which assist the Holy Father in governing the Universal Church. The Ad Limina visits will also include Eucharistic celebrations in Saint Peter’s Basilica at Saint Peter’s tomb as well as in the Major Basilicas of Saint John Lateran, Saint Paul Outside the Walls and Saint Mary Major.

The Latin words ad limina apostolorum mean “to the threshold of (the basilicas) of the Apostles”. The Ad Limina visits derive from the ancient tradition of each Bishop in the world regularly visiting the tombs of Saint Peter and Saint Paul to seek the guidance of these two “pillars” on which the Church of Christ is built. The highlights of the Ad Limina visits, as indicated in the Directory for the Ad Limina Visits, are the pilgrimage to the tombs of the two Apostles, the meeting with the Holy Father, and the discussions with the personnel of the dicasteries.

The 2017 Ad Limina visits by the Bishops of Canada are arranged according to the following schedule: 13 to 18 March, Bishops from the Atlantic Episcopal Assembly; 27 March to 2 April, Bishops from the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops; 24 to 29 April, Bishops from the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario; and 2 to 12 May, Bishops from the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops.

On Tuesday, 14 February 2017, five representatives from the Canadian Council of Imams met in Ottawa with the members of the Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity, Religious Relations with the Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). The five Bishops on the Commission are representative of the ecclesial, linguistic and geographic realities of the Catholic Church in Canada. The Commission is responsible for coordinating the Conference’s national ecumenical and interfaith outreach. Currently, the CCCB sponsors eight ecumenical and three interreligious dialogues.

The purpose of the meeting involving Imams and Bishops was to bring together religious leadership from the two respective communities in order to discuss the importance of dialogue, reflect on how the two faith communities can be of greater support to each other as faith communities and in service of Canadian society, and to discern possible new avenues for a more formal and concrete relationship between the Council of Imams and the CCCB.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the Bishops to reiterate their condolences and abhorrence following the senseless act of violence at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec on 29 January last in Quebec City. Statements of solidarity and sympathy had been made at the time by Pope Francis and CCCB President Bishop Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., together with many other Catholic Bishops and organizations across Canada.

Catholic Bishops in Canada already collaborate with the Council of Imams in advocating on important social issues, including opposing the implementation of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and promoting good quality and accessible palliative and home care.

The fifth National Week for Life and the Family will be celebrated across Canada, May 14 to May 21, 2017, from the 5th to the 6th Sunday of Easter. The 5th Sunday of Easter also coincides with Mother’s Day. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is again offering dioceses/eparchies, parishes and other non-profit groups possible resources and options for planning and organizing local activities. The theme this year is “Love Grows by Giving”. The resources have been prepared by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), working in collaboration and consultation with the CCCB and in cooperation with diocesan organizers for Quebec Family Week / Semaine québécoise des familles.

The materials include a poster which can be freely downloaded and reproduced; a prayer card, also for downloading and photocopying; a proposed plan for pastors and lay pastoral workers on how they might organize the Week; a message from the CCCB President, the Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton; proposals for homily notes and Prayers of the Faithful; suggestions for related events and activities; and COLF’s recent document entitled “The Joy of Love” At the Heart of the Family. This new resource from COLF provides a brief overview of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) which Pope Francis issued following the two Synods of Bishops on the Family. The document is also available separately from COLF.

The dates of the National Week are determined primarily by the United Nations 1993 resolution which declared May 15 the International Day of Families. In turn, the International Day is used to establish the dates for Quebec Family Week (Semaine québécoise des familles). Each diocese/eparchy decides how to adapt or use the suggested annual resources, in view of its own specific pastoral priorities, needs, and capacities.

Link to the proposed resources on the CCCB website

Link to the message of the President of the CCCB (PDF)