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Pro-Abortion, Pro-Gay "Marriage" Prime Minister Does Campaign Stop at Catholic High School

By John-Henry Westen

CORNWALL, ON, December 2, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday, Prime Minister Paul Martin arrived at St. Joseph's Secondary School in Cornwall with the full campaign bus of national reporters, televising a live nationwide address through CBC Newsworld. 

The fact that Canada is currently in a federal election does not seem to have fazed school officials when Martin's staff requested the visit.  The campaign stop was a perfect photo op with school children whooping wildly, and waving flags for the Leader of the Liberal Party.  Neither has it offended sensibilities at the Catholic school and board of education that a politician who supports abortion and homosexual "marriage" all the while claiming to be a "strong Catholic" would be given a platform.

The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario website (http://www.cdsbeo.on.ca/) features a photo of Martin wearing a school jersey with students behind and a backdrop of a huge Canadian flag.  While the school board claims, Martin visit was not political, the school website (http://www.sjssonline.com/home.html ) suggests a different story.  "At the end of the question period Kristen Stanley and other members of students' council presented Mr. Martin with a St. Joe's hockey jersey," explains the school website.  "Stanley joked that both our teams are undefeated and perhaps the jersey would bring Mr. Martin good luck in the upcoming election."

Mary Ellen Douglas, President of Campaign Life Coalition Ontario commented on the incident telling LifeSiteNews.com, "It's bad enough that the school would allow a partisan political campaign stop at their instruction. However, a Catholic school accepting a visit from a pro-abortion politician who just forced same-sex 'marriage' on the country is beyond the pale."

In addition to Principal Jack McCue, board Superintendent of Education Jane McMillan was on hand to greet the Liberal Leader prior his address to the students.

Board spokesman Bob Perreault told LifeSiteNews.com that St. Jospeh's Principal McCue would not comment on the story and comment from the board would only come from McMillan.  McMillan failed to return calls prior to press time.

The local Bishop said he was not consulted on the Martin invite.  "I was not involved in that decision making process," Alexandria-Cornwall Bishop Paul-André Durocher told LifeSiteNews.com. "I learned about Mr. Martin coming to the school just a few hours before it happened."

Of the Catholic School Board's acceptance of the Prime Minister's request to come to speak at the school, Bishop Durocher said, "The Prime Minister did not present it as a campaign call but as an opportunity to discuss globalization with the students."

Bishop Durocher added that he had spoken to one person who attended the event at the school who informed him that "students were not impressed with Mr. Martin at the end of the whole thing."

Last year the United States of Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) adopted a statement, "Catholics in Political Life," which says pro-abortion politicians should not be honored by Catholic community and Catholic institutions. "They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions," said the statement. (see coverage: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jun/04062102.html )

Asked about his impression of the school's recent allowance of Martin, in light of the widely reported USCCB document, Bishop Durocher responded, "I'm not aware of that document."

To POLITELY express concerns:

Most Rev. Paul-André Durocher
admin@alexandria-cornwall.ca
220, ch. Montréal Rd., C.P. / Box 1388, Cornwall ON K6H 5V4 Telephone / Téléphone (613) 933-1138; Fax / Télécopieur (613) 937-4931

The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
Eastern Region Education Centre
835 Campbell Street
Cornwall, Ontario
K6H 7B7
Telephone:  (613) 933-1720
Toll-free:  1-800-267-7136
Fax:  (613) 933-7966
 (613) 258-7757 Fax: (613) 258-5067 E-Mail: ann.perron@cdsbeo.on.ca

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