(CCCB-Ottawa) The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) has prepared a brochure entitled Marriage Matters that sets out 12 of the most frequently asked questions in the current public debate on the redefinition of marriage.

The brochure contains pertinent answers to sensitive questions such as what is marriage; if people of the same sex love each other, why can’t they get married; and what difference does it make to traditionally married couples if same-sex partners are allowed to marry?

The 12-page brochure is essential for those who wish to have an informed opinion on this matter. “It is a topic that concerns all of us, and calls for thoughtful reflection. There is a lot at stake,” the document states. “We hope that the material in this leaflet will help members of the Catholic community to participate in the debate and we encourage you to discuss this vital question with your families, your friends, your colleagues and your members of Parliament.”

The brochure is available free of charge in English and French through the COLF Secretariat. Contributions will gladly be accepted to help defray the cost of printing and mailing.

Catholic Organization for Life and Family
2500 Don Reid Drive
Ottawa, ON K1H 2J2
Tel: (613) 241-9461, Ext 161
Fax: (613) 241-9048
Email: ocvfcolf@cccb.ca

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (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.

Related Links:

• COLF Brochure: Marriage Matters
• Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF)
• Knights of Columbus
• Resources for the Debate on Marriage

(CCCB-Ottawa) His Holiness Pope John Paul II today named Most Rev. Raymond Roussin, S.M., current Bishop of Victoria, as Archbishop of Vancouver, succeeding Most Rev. Adam Exner, O.M.I., who has reached the mandatory age of retirement according to Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law.

Archbishop-elect Roussin has been Bishop of Victoria since March 18, 1999; prior to that, he had been named Coadjutor-Bishop of Victoria on September 14, 1998. He was first named a Bishop in 1995 when he was appointed Bishop of Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, a position he held until that diocese’s dissolution in 1998.

Born in 1939 in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, he graduated in theology from the University of Freiberg, Switzerland, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1970 as a member of the Congregation of Marianists. He taught for many years in Quebec, Manitoba and the United States before becoming Superior of his order from 1980-86. He was also president of the Western region of the Canadian Religious Conference from 1984-1986.

Archbishop-elect Roussin has been active within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) serving as a member of the Episcopal Commission for Christian Education (French Sector), the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy (English Sector), the Permanent Council and also as CCCB liaison Bishop with Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry.

Archbishop Exner has served the Archdiocese of Vancouver since 1991. Prior to that, he was Archbishop of Winnipeg and Bishop of Kamloops, respectively. He is a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

The Archdiocese of Vancouver has a Catholic population of 402,310 in 94 parishes and missions, served by 89 diocesan priests, 87 religious order priests, one permanent deacon, 145 religious sisters and brothers.

Most Rev. Raymond Roussin, S.M.	Most Rev. Adam Exner, O.M.I.

Related Links:

• Archdiocese of Vancouver
• Diocese of Victoria

(COLF – Ottawa) Ms. Michèle Boulva has been appointed as the new French-language co-director of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), succeeding Ms. Diane Dupras who has held this position since 1996. Ms. Boulva will begin her new duties January 12, 2004, and work with Ms. Jennifer Leddy who is English-language co-director of COLF.

Well known in the French sector of the Catholic Church in Canada, Ms. Boulva has worked for the past 18 years as a journalist with the bi-monthly Le Nouvel informateur catholique. She has also work for the Montreal daily newspaper La Presse and has a background in public relations.

The new COLF co-director holds a bachelor degree in family education and has been actively involved in many pastoral projects involving families, children and youth.

Ms. Boulva, mother of three children, says she is excited by the new challenge ahead of her. “Nothing appears more urgent and important today than the promotion and defence of life, family and marriage,” she said. “The laity has an enormous role to assume today in these areas both within the Church and in society.”

Ms. Dupras resigned as COLF co-director to join the Dominican Sisters of Berthierville, Quebec.

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (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.

Related Links

• Catholic Organization for Life and Family
• Knights of Columbus

(CCCB-Ottawa) For the third consecutive year, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will be part of an international meeting in the Holy Land, January 12-15, to discuss the future of Christians living in that part of the world.

CCCB President Archbishop Brendan M. O’Brien and General Secretary Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, P.H., were invited by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops in the Holy Land along with representatives of episcopal conferences from the United States, Latin America and Europe to get first hand knowledge of the current situation as well as to express their solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Israel and Palestine. The visitors will discuss with local Church officials what steps are being taken in their home countries to help resolve the situation.

As occurred last year, some of the representatives will meet with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Yasser Arafat, and the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Moshe Katsav, on Wednesday, January 14.

This year the meeting will include discussions on the implementation of a pastoral plan for the Catholic Church in the Holy Land. Theologians from the three great faith groups, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, will also present their different theological views on a common approach to peace.

Related Links:

• Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
• Solidarity for the Church in the Holy Land
• CCCB President Participates in Meeting Called by Pope John Paul II on the Future of Christians in the Holy Land

(CCCB-Ottawa) Msgr. Mario Paquette, P.H., will become General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) on March 1, 2004. He will succeed Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, P.H., whose second three-year term comes to an end on February 29, 2004.

Msgr. Paquette was confirmed as the new General Secretary at the CCCB annual Plenary meeting in Cap-de-la-Madeleine in October.

Born in Montreal in 1938, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Montreal in 1963 and named a Prelate of Honour in 1988. He has served in many capacities in the Archdiocese, including episcopal vicar for cultural communities and Eastern Churches, episcopal vicar for Montreal’s central region, vice-chancellor, and a judge with the Montreal Tribunal and the Canadian Appeal Tribunal.

Msgr. Paquette holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and is fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish and has a working knowledge of Portuguese, German and Latin.

For his part, Msgr. Peter Schonenbach was recently named the CCCB representative for Ontario with the Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy of the Correctional Service of Canada. He has been CCCB General Secretary since March 1998.

(CCCB-Ottawa) Rev. Thomas Cassidy, O.M.I., has been named Acting Judicial Vicar of the Canadian Appeal Tribunal, replacing Rev. Pierre Allard, S.M., who retired last October. The Tribunal is the judicial arm of the Canadian episcopacy dealing exclusively with marriage annulment cases forwarded by “first instance” or diocesan tribunals.

Father Cassidy has a doctorate in canon law and holds degrees and certificates from several Canadian universities including the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, Queen’s University and Saint Paul University. He has worked with the Tribunal since 1993, first as defender of the bond, a judge and most recently as Associate Judicial Vicar.

Born in Ottawa, Father Cassidy was ordained to the priesthood in 1963 as a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He taught in high schools, was a chaplain with the Canadian Navy and has held several administrative posts with his religious order. He was Superior of the English section of his community in the Ottawa region (Saint Peter’s Province) since 1999 and in December 2003 was named Councillor of the new Lacombe Province and Superior of the Ontario community.

In addition to his duties at the Canadian Appeal Tribunal, Father Cassidy is English secretary and canonical counsel at the Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa. He is also a sessional professor of Canon Law at Saint Paul University in Ottawa.

The Canadian Appeal Tribunal was established by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1984, with the approval of the Apostolic See. It is a national tribunal – the only “second instance” tribunal in Canada. After thorough study and, if necessary, additional evidence, the Appeal Tribunal confirms or reverses the “first instance” decision. The work of the Tribunal is both judicial and pastoral.

(CCCB-Ottawa) As had been announced at the October 2003 Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), a Special Taskforce has been created to review the guidelines concerning allegations and incidents of sexual abuse involving members of the Catholic clergy in Canada.

In 1992, the CCCB was the first episcopal conference worldwide to adopt guidelines on sexual abuse. The Special Taskforce will review and update these guidelines, in view of the experiences over the past 10 years in Canadian dioceses as well as developments in other parts of the world.

The Canadian guidelines, entitled From Pain to Hope, have assisted dioceses across Canada in developing protocols consistent with the best standards of practice at the time. With the help of this resource, dioceses were able to establish policies on sexual abuse and to implement pastoral programs to help victims and their families.

From Pain to Hope will serve as the reference point for the Special Taskforce whose first responsibility will be to review the document in its entirety.

The 11 members of the Taskforce will also focus on the following elements: safe environments for pastoral work, with emphasis on the protection of children; transparency and accountability. As well, the Taskforce will make possible recommendations on the guidelines in general, the development of additional resources, and follow-up for preventing future situations of abuse.

Most Rev. V. James Weisgerber and Most Rev. Eugène Tremblay

The Special Taskforce has also been mandated to consult with experts, to meet with victims and perpetrators, and to suggest an expansion of its mandate, if necessary. A final report is to be made by the end of 2004.

Archbishop V. James Weisgerber of Winnipeg and Auxiliary Bishop Eugène Tremblay of Quebec City will co-chair the work of the multi-disciplinary committee that is composed of nine other members, both laity and clergy.

These other members are:

• Mr. Benoît Bariteau, CCCB French-language Associate General Secretary who is also secretary to the Special Taskforce;
• Rev. Benoît-Marc Boyer, a lawyer and canonist with the Archdiocese of Montreal;
• Mr. Gilles Clavel, an expert in child protection from Gatineau, Quebec;
• Mrs. Maxine Davis, who has worked with sexual abuse cases for the past 15 years in the Archdiocese of St. John’s, Newfoundland;
• Dr. Rayleen De Luca, a specialist in pediatric psychology, who is also a professor at the University of Manitoba;
• Rev. Wallace Metcalfe, Vice President, National Federation of Presbyteral Councils (NFPC);
• Msgr. Roch Pagé, a canonist on the Faculty of Canon Law, Saint Paul University, Ottawa;
• Dr. Sylvia Pegis Santin, a social scientist from Toronto and formerly on staff with the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops (OCCB);
• Rev. Yvon Pomerleau, O.P., Provincial Superior of the Dominicans of Montreal.

Related Link:

• From Pain To Hope

(CCCB-Ottawa) Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, P.H., General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), has been named the CCCB representative for Ontario with the Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy of the Correctional Service of Canada. Msgr. Schonenbach is completing his second term at the CCCB.

The appointment was confirmed by the CCCB Executive Committee at its last meeting. Msgr. Schonenbach replaces Rev. Edward Hughes of Hamilton who was named chaplain of the Prairie region of the Correctional Service of Canada.

Msgr. Schonenbach was born in 1937 in Ottawa, Ontario. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1971 for the Archdiocese of Ottawa and was named a Prelate of Honour (P.H.) in 1989. Before joining the CCCB as General Secretary he served as Rector of Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa, was diocesan director of vocations, diocesan pastoral coordinator (English sector), episcopal vicar and vicar general.

Before becoming a priest, Msgr. Schonenbach worked for the Government of Canada as chief of the program division at Historic Parks Canada.

Msgr. Schonenbach has been CCCB General Secretary since March 1998 and on February 27, 2004, he will have completed his second three-year term at the CCCB.

(CCCB-Ottawa)The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has applied for leave to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada reference from the federal government on its proposed same-sex marriage legislation.

The application, filed November 26, 2003, outlines the two principal arguments the CCCB would make before the Court: 1) the draft bill breaches freedom of conscience and religion; and 2) the traditional definition of marriage is constitutional, while the proposed definition in the bill is not.

The notice of motion argues that the proposed legislation would establish a social and moral order that would threaten freedom of conscience and religion. If Canadian law would compel that intimate sexual relations at the core of same-sex unions be shown the same public respect and approval as sexual relations at the core of heterosexual marriages, a risk is created that those who believe and publicly support the premise that homosexual sexual conduct is immoral, could be considered as anti-gay, homophobic, intolerant and no better than racists.

“Once this social and moral orthodoxy is established, it becomes but a small step to remove charitable status and other public benefits from individuals, religious groups, or affiliated charities who publicly teach or espouse views contrary to this orthodoxy. It adds legitimacy to the charge [which is also being made] that those who teach or espouse these views are hate-mongers.”

The CCCB application also argues that the current definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman is constitutional and that there is an obvious and compelling state interest in the institution of marriage which is the creation and nurturing of the next generation of citizens.

Marriage as an institution does not implicate human rights or Charter values. This is because there is no compelling state interest to protect and promote sexual relationships based on the sexual orientation, sexual preferences, personal preferences, individual tastes, cultural practices or religious beliefs of the individuals involved. However, “there may be a state interest in recognizing these relationships for the purpose of regulating them but there is no state interest in institutionalizing them.”

The notice of motion concludes by pointing out that “promoting human rights and preventing discrimination are laudable goals. These goals, however, should not be employed to contravene the Charter rights of others, or undermine an institution that has proven its worth over time, especially when that institution does not implicate individual rights.”

The Supreme Court of Canada motion to intervene is being handled by Ottawa lawyer William J. Sammon, who has represented the CCCB in other Supreme Court cases.

The full text of the application may be found on the CCCB website: Notice of Motion

(CCCB-Ottawa) Most Rev. William Power, Bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, died November 29, 2003, at the age of 88. He served as Bishop of Antigonish from 1960 until his retirement in 1986.

Born in Montreal on September 27, 1915, he was ordained to the priesthood in Montreal in 1941 after completing his theological training at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal. He served in many posts for the Archdiocese of Montreal including Vice Chancellor.

Bishop Power was one of the few remaining Canadian bishops who participated in the Vatican Council II from 1962-1965. In the years that followed, he was instrumental in implementing the Council’s reforms in the Church in Canada.

He was active within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), serving as its president from 1971-73 as well as on several commissions. In 1974, he represented the CCCB at the Synod of Bishops on Evangelization in Rome.

Visitation will be at St. Ninian’s Cathedral in Antigonish beginning at 7 pm on Monday, December 1, and continuing until the funeral Mass on Wednesday, December 3, which will be celebrated at 11 am. It will be presided by Bishop Raymond Lahey of Antigonish. There will be a vigil service at the Cathedral at 7 pm, Tuesday evening.

Related Links:

• Diocese of Antigonish
• CCCB Letter on the Death of Most Rev. William Power