Summary Report on CCCB Forum with Movements and Associations
Wednesday, February 10 2010CCCB FORUM WITH MOVEMENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS
The Word of God: Identity and Mission
3-4 December 2009
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Representatives from 29 movements and associations gathered for the CCCB National Standing Committee for Relations with Catholic Associations and Movements 11th Forum with Movements and Associations. The group was welcomed at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in Ottawa by the Standing Committee chairman and members of the CCCB Permanent Council. Representatives then introduced themselves, their respective organizations, and offered reflections on the questions presented to them with reference to the Word of God in their mandate and their organization’s response to the Christian call to proclaim the Word of God.
Bishop Durocher outlined the CCCB’s priorities, explaining the restructuring that has taken place at the Conference over the last few years. He explained that the CCCB has three National Commissions: Doctrine; Justice and Peace; and Christian Unity, Religious Relations with the Jews, and Interfaith Dialogue; two Sectoral Commissions: Liturgy and Christian Education; and the Standing Committee for Relations with Catholic Movements and Associations, as well as two newly formed standing committees, Communications and Relations with the Federal Government. He outlined the priorities of each Commission as they have been identified by the annual Plenary Assembly.
CONVERSATION WITH THE BISHOPS
The delegates were invited to share with the Bishops obstacles, challenges, successes and hopes being faced by their respective organizations and how the Bishops can assist them in their work. Challenges currently being faced regarding health care, education, human trafficking, Aboriginal issues, environment, preaching, volunteers and membership were identified. In brief, participants and Bishops raised the following points:
- There are fewer than twenty people in Canada currently working in the field of Catholic health care ethics in Catholic health care facilities, a high risk profession that requires the assistance and support of the Bishops.
- The Catholic education system is often the only area of contact that some families have with the Church. Therefore, it is imperative to encourage young, strong Catholics to enter the field of education.
- Another concern in the field of education is the possibility of losing public funding for the Catholic education system. Bishop Durocher confirmed the Ontario Bishops’ commitment to Catholic schools; however, since education systems are a provincial issue, the challenges vary across the country.
- The CCCB Justice and Peace Commission is preparing a text on human trafficking as it relates to the 2010 Olympic Games. Bishop Gordon spoke of the joint press conference on human trafficking recently held by the Anglican/Roman Catholic Bishops’ Dialogue, as well as a letter on human trafficking published by the BC/Yukon Bishops.
- With regards to Aboriginal questions, Bishop Champagne explained that the CCCB has offered its support and expressed its desire to work in collaboration with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As questions related to First Nations people are a priority for the Conference, a new position for an Advisor for Indigenous Relations has been created. Bishop Gordon informed the group that the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops has a Standing Committee to address realities of ministry with First Nations.
- The Commission for Justice and Peace published a pastoral message on the environment in 2008. Bishop Durocher explained that often during international meetings, such as the G20 Summit and the Copenhagen Summit, the Catholic Church collaborates with other Christian Churches and presents itself as part of a coalition.
- One of the concerns identified by the Synod on the Word of God is the crisis related to the quality of Sunday preaching in parishes, often lacking vitality and applicability. Bishop Durocher explained how this crisis demonstrates the need for ongoing formation of all who preach.
- Representatives shared concerns regarding a lack of volunteers and membership in the various movements and associations. A request for assistance from the Bishops in the form of personnel or financial support was also expressed.
- The Bishops were asked for a willingness and openness when approached by various movements and associations. Groups expressed challenges related to the lack of awareness among Catholics and diocesan priests regarding work being done by various movements and associations. A deeper understanding by and encouragement from priests to become familiar with their work and to participate in meetings and events would be greatly appreciated.
At the end of the afternoon, participants moved to Sacré-Coeur Parish in downtown Ottawa for the remainder of the Forum.
ARCHBISHOP PRENDERGAST: Reflection on the Synod on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church
Archbishop Prendergast was one of the six CCCB delegates to attend the October 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God held in Rome. He shared a slideshow depicting his experience, the events and the flavor of the Synod. He explained the process that the Synod followed, highlighting that they did not only discuss the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church, but they also prayed with the Scriptures. In particular, Lectio Divina became a strong theme throughout the Synod. He discussed the work involved in developing the final Synod document and named four aspects of the Word that were identified: voice, face, house and path. God has a voice: God writes a love letter to His people; it would be great richness for the Church if all persons were to discover that God’s Word addresses each one personally. God has a face: he becomes visible to us through Jesus. God dwells in the house, the community, the Church, a house that welcomes everyone without exception. God has a route, a path of love and service that leads to peace, hope, justice and reconciliation. Forum participants were invited to share reactions and personal experiences that relate to the Synod or how the Word of God affects them either personally or through their movements. The influence of Lectio Divina and the inspiration of the work of the Synod were among the key points identified.
PRAYER AND WORSHIP
The first day concluded with evening prayer following the Liturgy of the Hours. The following morning, participants gathered in Sacré-Coeur Church to begin the day with celebration of the Eucharist.
BISHOP CHAMPAGNE KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Evangelizers of hope in the modern world
Addressing the theme, The Word of God: Identity and Mission, Bishop Champagne invited participants to a deeper understanding of our mission to proclaim the Good News, whereby we are called to be messengers and evangelizers. Small groups reflected on how each of the respective organizations considers evangelization to be part of the mission of its members, its mandate, projects and priorities. They also considered how to better assist their members in developing a greater understanding of the mission, and how to support their work of evangelization. A key realization that emerged from the workshops was that evangelization is a core activity of the associations and movements, and that members need to work together and support one another in their communal task. Bishop Champagne noted that this mission is not exclusively the responsibility of the ordained – the movements and associations play a vital role in addressing the many challenges of today’s society.
The desire to develop a way to remain connected with one another once the Forum was over was raised several times. Jonas Abromaitis, CCCB Senior Advisor for Ecclesial and Interfaith Relations, encouraged the group to utilize the Standing Committee on Relations with Catholic Associations and Movements as the gateway for the various movements and associations to the CCCB.
PANEL: Proclaiming the Gospel in Today’s World
Representatives from four different movements/associations presented personal testimony regarding what it means to them, as a member of their respective organizations, to proclaim the Gospel.
- For Catholic Christian Outreach, the need to proclaim the Gospel on campuses is clear, since much confusion often exists about who Jesus is. Proclaiming the Gospel in today’s world means having a profound hope for the world, and realizing that one person can make a huge difference.
- Vie Chrétienne du Canada takes time to pause and listen to the Word of God during their meetings. They study a Scripture text and examine it from each member’s individual perspective, followed by a time of silence, and then a period of sharing regarding what stood out for them; these exercises serve to demonstrate how the Word of God touches each of them individually.
- The delegate from Conseil Canadian du Renouveau Charismatique shared his experience working as a guidance counselor in a high school and offered an example of a troubled teenager who changed his ways by accepting God in his life.
- Finally, the delegates from World Wide Marriage Encounter (WWME) shared how this movement reawakened their awareness that it was God who had called them into their relationship and reminded them of their original attraction to one another. While WWME is primarily for couples, priests and religious often experience a similar initial joy in their vocation that newlyweds feel, following a similar pattern over time of despair and disillusionment. WWME helps them to rediscover the source of their vocation, and to renew their hope and love for the people they serve.
Forum participants were then invited to meet in smaller groups to discuss what it means in their personal lives to proclaim the Gospel today in the world, how we are personally called to be a messenger of the Good News, and how our movement/association is being called to proclaim the Good News.
ROUNDTABLE: How can Bishops and the Movements and Associations gathered here assist one another in proclaiming the Good News?
Five presenters were asked to make a brief statement on how Bishops, Movements and Associations can assist one another in proclaiming the Good News. Forum participants were then invited to enter into the discussion.
- The delegate from Catholic Health Care Alliance spoke of the importance of restoring the place of Scripture in our lives and incorporating it into discerning some of our most problematic moral questions. One problem in Catholic moral theology in healthcare is the predominance of sexual and reproductive questions, almost to the exclusion of other important issues. She also explained that as we examine end of life issues, particularly Bill C-384, we must understand that it is not about the treatment of pain and physical symptoms, but rather about the control of human suffering, about fears of indignity and fears of becoming a burden. She also explained that she served as a member of the Diocesan Commission on sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of St. John’s and worked on the CCCB committee that produced the document, From Pain to Hope. She called on the Bishops to speak out and address the systemic questions surrounding why sexual abuse happens.
- The delegate from Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry explained that there are many ways whereby we can assist one another. She spoke of the need to be inclusive and to work together to end exclusion.
- The delegate from Communauté de Chemin Neuf explained that he had never experienced such a dynamic openness with Bishops as he had during this Forum. He also spoke of the impact of the Synod on the Word of God creating a strong spiritual link from Bishops to the laity.
- Bishop Gordon expressed how he was struck and inspired by the deep commitment and love for the Gospel and the Church, both locally and globally, of the participants. He was greatly impressed by the intent of those gathered on growth, and by the young people in particular not waiting for the leadership of the Episcopacy or of the clergy to move forward.
- Archbishop Fournier acknowledged that the message given by the first speaker regarding the sexual abuse by clergy is being heard, and will continue to be a priority. The Word of God, which has been shared by participants with one another during this Forum, is at the heart of our evangelization work. In his closing words, he confirmed that what has been shared during the Forum has been received not only by the Bishops present, but will be made known to all of the Bishops of Canada.
Report prepared by Tracy Blain