ST JOHN’S, Nfld, Mar 28, 2001(LSN.ca) – Yarmouth (Nova Scotia) Bishop James Wingle has raised objections to the choice of keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Catholic Health Association of Canada (CHAC). Bishop Wingle, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ representative on the CHAC board and the 2001 CHAC convention facilitator, told the Interim (LifeSite’s parent print publication) that the CHAC in general “ought not to lend support to people who have positions contrary to Catholic teaching.” LifeSite News reported in November that Stephen Lewis a noted promoter of abortion was selected as keynote speaker by the CHAC only a year after they had selected noted population control zealot David Suzuki to speak at the CHAC 2000 conference.

Bishop Wingle said he was not aware of Lewis’s history but would raise the issue with the CHAC and “counsel them to be more sensitive in their picks in the future.” He said, “It is an on-going concern for the whole Church that in all the things we do that we do not convey ambiguous or confusing messages.” Bishop Wingle urged Catholic pro-lifers to write to the CHAC and state clearly and specifically the concerns they have with inviting pro-abortion speakers. Campaign Life Coalition Newfoundland is organizing a demonstration against Lewis during the convention.

For more see the April issue of the Interim available from CLC (see address and phone below)

For the LifeSite report see: https://lsn.ca/ldn/2000/nov/001123.html#2