(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Jean Gagnon as Bishop of the Diocese of Gaspé, and has appointed on July 2, 2016, as his successor the Most Reverend Gaétan Proulx, O.S.M. At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Québec. Bishop Gagnon has been Bishop of the Diocese of Gaspé for the past 15 years. He had submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law.

Bishop-Elect Gaétan Proulx, O.S.M., was born on May 27, 1947, in Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, Quebec. After joining the Servite Order, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Dominican University College in Ottawa, and a Master’s of Theology from Laval University in Quebec. Ordained a priest on June 8, 1975, he served as assistant and master of novices for his community until his departure for France in 1985, where he served his priestly ministry in the Dioceses of Séez and Belley-Ars. In 1989, he was called to Brussels to serve as Master of Formation for the Servites in France, Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He returned to Quebec in 1991, where he again served as Master of Formation for the Servites of Quebec, while also serving the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-la-Salle Parish in Quebec City. In 2000, he became Prior of the Canadian Servite Province and, in 2005, administrator and pastor of Notre-Dame-de-Foy Parish, until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Québec on December 12, 2011.

Bishop Gagnon was born on May 21, 1941, in St-Joseph-de-Lauzon, Quebec. He was ordained a priest in 1966 for the Archdiocese of Québec. On December 4, 1998, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Québec. Appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Gaspé on July 21, 2001, he was named Bishop of the same diocese on November 15, 2002. As a member of the CCCB, Bishop Gagnon has served as member and Chairman of the former Commission for Social Affairs (1999-2003), member of the former Programs and Priorities Committee (2001-2003), member of the former Commission for Christian Education of the French Sector (2003-2005), and member of the Commission for Liturgy and Sacraments of the French Sector (2011-2016). Bishop Gagnon has also been a CCCB representative on the Board of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) (2005-2007) and was its Chairman (2007-2009).

According to the CCCB 2016 Directory, the Diocese of Gaspé has 64 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 85,840 served by 37 diocesan priests, three priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life, five permanent deacons, 115 religious Sisters and Brothers who are members of religious institutes, as well as four lay pastoral workers.

(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Francis today appointed the Reverend Father Robert Kasun, C.S.B., Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto. At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was Pastor of St. Alphonsus-St. Clare Parish in Edmonton. Father Kasun will join three others as Auxiliary Bishops of Toronto: the Most Reverend John A. Boissonneau, the Most Reverend Wayne Kirkpatrick and the Most Reverend Vincent Nguyen.

Bishop-elect Robert Kasun was born on December 20, 1951 in Cudworth, Saskatchewan. He joined the Basilian Fathers after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in English. Following novitiate, he continued his studies, earning a Master’s of Divinity from St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, and subsequently, both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education from the University of Toronto. Following ordination in 1978, Father Kasun began his teaching ministry in schools operated by the Basilian Fathers in Merrillville, Indiana, and in Ontario at Sudbury and at St. Michael’s College. Toronto. He also served as Vocation Director for the Basilian Fathers based in Rochester, New York, and taught with the Calgary Catholic School District at St. Francis High School in Calgary.

Father Kasun served as a member of the General Council of the Basilian Fathers from 1989 to 1997 as Regional Representative for Western Canada, and as Vice-President of the then Western Region of the Canadian Religious Conference. Also in Calgary, he served as Associate Pastor and then Pastor of St. Pius X Parish, Pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Calgary, and a member of the executive committee of the Board of Governors for St. Mary’s University College. Since 2009, he has served in the Archdiocese of Edmonton as Pastor of St. Alphonsus-St. Clare Parish, two inner-city parishes which are now twinned.

According to the CCCB 2016 Directory, the Archdiocese of Toronto has 249 parishes and missions, with a population of 1,626,465 Catholics, served by 296 diocesan priests, 413 priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life, 130 permanent deacons, 556 Sisters and 44 Brothers who are members of religious institutes, as well as 68 lay pastoral workers.

Compassion for those at the end of their lives is a Canadian value

Ottawa, ON—Today, representatives from various faith communities united to issue a joint call to Canada’s elected officials to support a robust, well-resourced, national palliative care strategy and to raise awareness of inadequacies in palliative care, particularly in the wake of the debate over Physician-Assisted Dying/Suicide.

In addition to issuing an Interfaith Statement on Palliative Care, the organizations reaffirmed that compassion is a foundational element of Canadian identity that should directly shape Canadian public policy when it comes to end-of-life issues. The spokespersons warned that assisted dying/suicide must not become a default choice for those struggling with terminal illnesses, and that it is a national imperative to enhance access to and the quality of palliative care.

“The need for quality, widely accessible palliative care should be one of the most pressing concerns of our country,” said the Most Reverend Noël Simard, Bishop of Valleyfield, on behalf of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Faith communities, along with health care workers, have for centuries stood by the bedsides of the dying to comfort and protect, to heal and console. Today, as faith leaders, we recommit ourselves to this sacred task of providing the spiritual care so essential to palliative care.”

“People at the end of life need our care and tangible expressions of love. Palliative care alleviates the suffering of those nearing the end of life, yet, lamentably, it is not accessible to everyone,” said Julia Beazley, of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. “As faith communities and as Canadians, we must commit to making high-quality palliative care available to all.”

“Preserving human dignity and providing comfort to the most vulnerable among us are core Canadian values that transcend faith communities,” said Shimon Koffler Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “In light of Canada’s aging population, there is a pressing need to improve access to high-quality palliative care, which can make a world of difference in the well-being of patients – and their families – entering the final stages of life.”

“It is our duty to care for one other and offer assistance in times of need,” said Imam Sikander of the Canadian Council of Imams. “Fortunately, many Canadians take this responsibility very seriously. We must ensure though that the ill and dying are not left out of our care and compassion. Every life is worth living and saving. Let us come together to enhance and cherish life.”

Lint to the Interfaith Statement on Palliative Care (PDF)

Link to the video archives on CPAC

Backgrounder on Palliative Care in Canada (PDF)

About Interfaith Communities for Improved Palliative Care

Our traditions instruct that there is meaning and purpose in supporting people at the end of life. Visiting those who are sick, and caring for those who are dying, are core tenets of our respective faiths and reflect our shared values as Canadians.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops www.cccb.ca is the national assembly of the Catholic Bishops of Canada. It was founded in 1943 and officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. After the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), it became part of a worldwide network of Episcopal Conferences, established in 1965, as an integral part of the life of the universal Church.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada www.theEFC.ca is the national association of evangelical Christians uniting Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus. Since 1964 the EFC has provided a national forum for Canada’s four million Evangelicals, fostered ministry partnerships, conducted research on religious and social trends and provided a constructive voice for biblical principles in life and society. In addition to 42 evangelical denominations, the EFC affiliates include 65 ministry organizations, 38 educational institutions and more than 700 individual congregations, who uphold a common statement of faith. The EFC is an active participant in the World Evangelical Alliance.

As the advocacy agent of the Jewish Federations of Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) www.cija.ca is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of Jewish life in Canada by advancing the public policy interests of Canada’s organized Jewish community.

The Canadian Council of Imams www.canadiancouncilofimams.com is a collective leadership of Imams (Ministers of Religion) in Canada. Established in 1990, the Council has been serving the Canadian Muslim communities throughout the nation in different capacities as well as acting as a unifying platform for the Imams and chaplains and being a resource centre for many of them. Through monthly meetings, press releases, seminars and conferences the council has succeeded in bringing most of the Imams together and unite them on many issues. The council has deliberated over many issues affecting the community and put forward some solutions. At the same time it filled a vacuum with the Government and it has become the principle liaison with Federal, Ontario Provincial and Toronto Municipal Governments. 

The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) Standing Liaison Committee and the Standing Committee for Development and Peace of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) held their latest joint meeting on June 2, 2016, at the Development and Peace offices in Montreal. The CCCB Standing Committee advises the Conference on Development and Peace plans and activities, as well as facilitates communication and collaboration between the CCCB and CCODP.

Deacon Jean-Denis Lampron, President of CCODP National Council, chaired the meeting.

The Committees reviewed and discussed a number of documents, including the CIDSE document on gender equality, a text on the “Relationship between CCODP and the CCCB”, and the continuing work on a “Key Principles” document. The text on the relationship of Development and Peace with the CCCB outlines the various ways in which the two organizations collaborate, and is intended especially to assist personnel in both organizations. The project on “key principles” involves continuing work on what had originated as a joint initiative by CCODP and the CCCB, in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services. The document aims to outline a clear organisational statement by CCODP of Catholic principles on the dignity of human life. It will also help to assist in responding to questions that may be raised in the media as well as by Catholics in general.

The joint meeting also received an updated report on plans for the coming 50th anniversary celebrations of CCODP, discussed CCODP’s annual contribution to the CCCB Social Justice Fund and the possible scope of work of Caritas Canada. Many of these items will continue to be discussed throughout the coming year with updates, reports on actions taken, and proposals for moving forward.

The Committees also discussed the second meeting hosted by the CCCB for a proposed Catholic coalition on renewing and rebuilding relations with the Indigenous People. The meeting on the proposed coalition was held in Ottawa on 6 June 2016 at which a representative of Development and Peace participated.

In an effort to extend the collaboration between the CCCB and the CCODP Most Rev. Terrence Prendergast, S.J., Archbishop of Ottawa, will attend the CCODP National Council meeting on June 17.

The next joint meeting of the two Committees is scheduled for 21 October 2016, in Ottawa.

PDF Version 

(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend David J.J. Monroe as Bishop of the Diocese of Kamloops, and has appointed today as his successor Father Joseph Phuong Nguyen. At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Bishop Monroe has been Bishop of the Diocese of Kamloops for the past 14 years. He had submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law.

The new Bishop was born on March 25, 1957, in Vietnam. He arrived in Canada through a sponsorship program in the mid-1980s after his studies in Philosophy and Theology in his country of origin. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Vancouver on May 30, 1992, by the Most Reverend Adam Exner, O.M.I., then Archbishop of Vancouver. Bishop-elect Nguyen served in a number of parishes throughout the Archdiocese before being named Director of the Vocations Office in 2010 and Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia in 2013. He was the first Chaplain of the new Diocesan Pro-life Prayer Apostolate. In the Archdiocese of Vancouver, Bishop-elect Nguyen has been a member of the Presbyteral Council, the College of Consultors and judge for the Matrimonial Vancouver Regional Tribunal. He was also a member of the National Federation of Presbyteral Councils.

Bishop Monroe was born on April 14, 1941, in Vancouver. He was ordained a priest in 1967 for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. On March 12, 2002, he was ordained Bishop by the Most Reverend Adam Exner, O.M.I., and installed as Bishop of Kamloops on March 18, 2002. As a member of the CCCB, Bishop Monroe has served on the former Commission for Catechesis of the English Sector and as Co-Chair of the Roman Catholic / United Church Dialogue.

According to the CCCB 2016 Directory, the Diocese of Kamloops has 67 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 51,435 served by 16 diocesan priests, four priests who are members of institutes of consecrated life, two permanent deacons and 10 Sisters and Brothers who are members of religious institutes.

• Archdiocese of Toronto
• Archdiocese of Québec
  • Message from Cardinal Lacroix – Assistance in Dying: No Deadline for Dignity (video and web)
• Archdiocese of Vancouver
• Archdiocese of Edmonton
• Every Life Matters
• Pray for Canada – Blog of Archbishop Richard Smith
• Archdiocese of Ottawa
• Archdiocese of Montreal
• Diocese of London
• Diocese of Mont-Laurier
• Diocese of Trois-Rivières

(CCCB – Ottawa)… On the Solemnity of Pentecost, celebrated this year on May 15, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has released the Decree of promulgation for the following three French-language lectionaries: Lectionnaire dominical, Lectionnaire de semaine and Lectionnaire sanctoral et messes rituelles. The new edition of these three lectionaries will come into effect for use in the Catholic Church of the Roman rite in Canada as of September 4, 2016, the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time of the liturgical year C, hence replacing any other former edition. This past January, the CCCB received recognitio from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for use of the three lectionaries in the dioceses of Canada. This follows the publication in 2013 of the new Traduction officielle liturgique de la Bible.

The Lectionnaire sanctoral includes the readings from the Proper of the Saints and the Commons, as well as the readings for the “ritual” celebrations of the Mass, that is the Sacraments, Masses for the Dead, Votive Masses and Masses for Various Needs and Occasions. The Association épiscopale liturgique pour les pays francophones has been working with the CCCB French Sector Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments and with the French Sector National Liturgy Office on the publication of the three volumes of the new Lectionary. Commonly known by its acronym AELF, the association coordinates French-language translations and publications of the official liturgical books for use in the Church around the world.

The Lectionary brings together all the biblical readings for liturgical celebrations, using a new translation designed for proclamation, easy understanding and beauty. The Lectionnaire dominical is available in two formats. CCCB Publications is offering the customary discounts for dioceses as well as special package prices for parishes when the three volumes are ordered in sets.

Link to the Decree (PDF) (in French only)

The new publications can be ordered using the methods below:
• By telephone: 1-800-769-1147
• By email: publi@cccb.ca 
• On-line: www.cccbpublications.ca 

(CCCB – Ottawa)… His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed the Most Reverend John Pazak, C.Ss.R., as Eparchial Bishop of the Holy Mary of Protection Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, Arizona. The Eparchy serves mainly the Ruthenian Catholics of western United States. At the time of his appointment, Bishop Pazak was the Eparchial Bishop of the Eparchy for Catholic Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite in Canada, which has its See in the Toronto region. The Holy Father has also appointed Bishop Pazak Apostolic Administrator “sede vacante” of the Eparchy for Catholic Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite in Canada — that is, while the See in Toronto is vacant.

Born on August 13, 1946, in Gary, Indiana, Bishop Pazak has been a member of the Redemptorists since 1965 and was ordained priest in 1972. He has served in a number of pastoral roles in both Canada and the United States. In December 1, 2000, Saint John Paul II appointed him Eparchial Bishop of the Eparchy for Catholic Slovaks of the Byzantine Rite in Canada. As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Pazak has served on the former Commission for Social Communications of the English Sector (2001-2005), the former Commission for Christian Education of the English Sector (2005-2008), the Catholic and Anglican Bishops’ Dialogue (2008-2016), and the Commission for Justice and Peace since 2014. In October 2015, he was the CCCB delegate to the Santa Martha Group’s Third Conference on Human Trafficking, which was held in Spain.

The Holy Mary of Protection Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix has 19 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 2,254 served by 29 diocesan priests, one priest who is member of an institute of consecrated life, eight permanent deacons, and nine religious Sisters and Brothers.

1. Information and resources package

2. Petition instructions

3. Petition

4. 12 Hours of Prayer advertisement

More information regarding the “12 Hours of Prayer for Palliative Care” can be accessed at the following CWL website: http://cwl.ca/12-hours-of-prayer-for-palliative-care-may-4-2016/

• A model letter for you to adapt and use to invite parishes to become involved in the Coalition for HealthCARE and Conscience
• “It’s Time to Talk” – a one-page fact and action sheet for parishes to reproduce and distribute to parishioners
• Four possible parish bulletin inserts
• A listing of key campaigns against physician-assisted suicide and other sources of information that can be used for meetings of parish groups on physician-assisted suicide