CCCB Website – “Building a Culture of Life and Family in Canada”

Wednesday, March 28 2012

lifeandfamilyimage(CCCB – Ottawa)… The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has added a new section to its website to assist dioceses, parishes, movements and associations in a national initiative for “Building a Culture of Life and Family in Canada”. This follows the agreement by the Bishops of Canada at their last Plenary Assembly that in 2013 dioceses across the country will implement the long-term pastoral initiative for life and family. Dioceses are using 2012 as a preparatory year, and will adapt or adopt elements of the plan in view of their own diocesan priorities and capacities.

In his December 2011 letter to the Bishops of Canada, the CCCB President, the Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton, invited his brother Bishops to reflect on how such a pastoral plan could be implemented in each of their respective dioceses. As proposed, the various elements could include: strategies for formation; the promotion of life and family; outreach for life; programs for youth and the elderly; and collaboration with ecclesial movements and new communities. These options will be adapted and implemented in each respective diocese, according to its evolving pastoral needs, diocesan resources, and local priorities.

This new section of the CCCB website offers a “tool kit” of possible activities and resources. It includes the elements of the long-term plan which had been developed for the Bishops by the former CCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Life and Family. All the documents and activities proposed by the CCCB can be downloaded and printed free of charge, or adapted as needed. The new webpage also invites dioceses and Church organizations to exchange and share their own life and family materials or plans. These local resources can be submitted to the CCCB to be added to its family and life webpage.

The CCCB webpage also provides a link to the website of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), to help visitors in accessing COLF resources. In addition, the CCCB has invited COLF to assist in developing CCCB resources for the pastoral initiative.

The main sections of the CCCB webpage are currently the following: