When Pope (now St.) John Paul II arrived in Ottawa in 1984 – the first Pontiff to visit this country – greeting him in Ottawa was Canada’s 18th Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney. Mr. Mulroney, one of 10 Catholics who have held that office since 1867, died on Feb. 29. The “little guy from Baie Comeau,”...
Tag: Canada
Canada’s Senate pushes MAiD for mentally ill three years down the road
Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) access for individuals solely living with a mental illness is officially delayed until March 17, 2027, as the Senate of Canada passed Bill C-62 at third reading Feb. 29. Senators passed the bill during their last sitting before March 19. It had to pass on Leap Day or else medical...
MPs choose not to condemn church fires
A call to condemn the most recent arson attack on a Christian church — Feb. 9 at Blessed Sacrament Church in downtown Regina — failed to gain unanimous approval in the House of Commons. On Feb. 12, Conservative MP Corey Tochor called for unanimous consent to condemn the arson at Blessed Sacrament. Members of the...
More supports, less death, say MAiD opponents at Parliament Hill rally
Speakers at a rally on Parliament Hill demanded the federal government provide more life-saving supports for those deeply suffering from mental illness rather than giving them access to medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Expanding MAiD to people solely on the basis of mental illness was to begin March 17, but Bill C-62 is calling for...
Edmonton Catholics rally against culture of death
Nohl Macdonald is still in high school, but that hasn’t prevented him and many others in the Edmonton Archdiocese from speaking out against the expansion of assisted suicide and euthanasia in Canada. Macdonald was amongst the crowd of more than 500 people (in person and online) who attended a Feb. 8 public lecture to equip Catholics and...
Mother Paradis: third Canadian-born saint known for her ‘open arms and transparent heart’
Rome’s announcement of a third Canadian-born saint answers the prayers of Blessed Mother Marie-Léonie Paradis’ community and friends. The Quebec-born founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family will join St. Marie-Marguerite d’Youville and St. Brother André Bessette as the only Canadian-born canonized saints, the Vatican said in late January. The Friends of Mother...
Lawyer hopes Emergencies Act victory inspires Canadians to defend their rights
The president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms hopes Canadians will better protect their civil liberties if there is another global health emergency in the wake of the Federal Court of Canada’s ruling against the Trudeau government’s use of the Emergencies Act in 2022. John Carpay said that when a small number of people...
MAiD for mental illness must be stopped, not paused, Catholic and legal experts say
Catholic and anti-euthanasia observers across Canada are welcoming the federal government’s decision to pause the introduction of assisted dying for individuals suffering from mental illness, but expressing dismay that it still intends to expand access in the future. Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller said he was disappointed by an announcement by federal Health Minister Mark...
A one-woman abortion crusade influenced Ottawa’s Summer Jobs program; will MAiD be next?
It was Joyce Arthur and her Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) who convinced the Trudeau government to kick pro-life organizations out of the Canada Summer Jobs program seven years ago. Now, the British Columbia atheist-humanist is pressing to open MAiD eligibility further — and do away with “paternalistic, unethical” faith-based health care. Arthur’s Abortion...
In pastoral letter, Canadian bishops praise those who witness on social media, but warn ‘don’t be naive’
Catholic institutions and media outlets must hold themselves to the highest standards, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a Jan. 24 pastoral letter that focuses on social media. As a communication tool, social media has great potential to “serve a fundamental human good: the building of bridges among people by the sharing of...