Politics
Tuesday October 17, 2006
Canadian Bishops Planning "Much More Active Role" in Gay 'Marriage' Political Fight says Paper
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By John-Henry Westen
OTTAWA, October 17, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Toronto Star reports today that the Catholic Church in Canada is "positioning itself to take a much more active role in the country's politics" and specifically the gay 'marriage' legislation which is scheduled to be reopened before Christmas.
Winnipeg Archbishop James Weisgerber spoke with the Star yesterday after returning on Saturday from a meeting of Western Canadian Bishops with Pope Benedict XVI. "We are a big part of this society . . . We will be a vigorous part of the debate . . . As leaders, we are guardians of long traditions of wisdom," Weisgerber told the Star.
The Canadian Catholic bishops are currently meeting in Cornwall Ontario for their annual meeting which runs this week.
In an address to the gathered bishops, Apostolic Nuncio (the Pope's representative to Canada) Archbishop Luigi Ventura said that the bishops must speak out on issues of life and family, on assisted human reproduction and euthanasia. "The Church has the duty and the right to express herself on these questions," said Archbishop Ventura thanking the bishops for their conviction. "Therefore, as his Representative, I desire to thank you in the name of the Holy Father and to echo his recent encouragement to you to continue your steps in this direction," added the Nuncio. (see his full address here: http://www.cccb.ca/MediaReleases.htm?CD=542&ID=1879 )
Bishop Weisgerber warned there would be political consequences for politicians who decline to vote to support traditional marriage. "When you have an issue as important as the fate of the family, that can define an election," he told the Star.
This morning from about nine to noon, the bishops discussed Catholics in political life. They heard from now-retired Washington DC Cardinal Theodore McCarrick who headed the US Bishops task force which debated what to do about Catholic politicians who support abortion and if they should be denied communion.
During that debate the Vatican reiterated its long-standing position that Catholic politicians who obstinately support abortion "must" be denied communion. (see coverage: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jul/04070501.html )
See the coverage in the Star:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_T...
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- Cardinal Rigali: You Can't Claim to be "Reducing Abortions" but Publicly Funding them in D.C.
- General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase out Lab Rats
- Ohio Supreme Court Allows Planned Parenthood to Conceal Abortion Records in Sexual Abuse Case
- LifeSiteNews Canada Day and Independence Day Message. Taking a few days off. LSN returns Monday July 6
- Heroically Pro-Life Brazilian Archbishop's Resignation Accepted Under Cloud of Vatican Newspaper Misrepresentation
- Pro-Life Groups Announce New Colorado Personhood Initiative
- Judge Puts Kibosh on DC Gay "Marriage" Referendum
- Al Franken Win Hands Supermajority to Senate Democrats
- Group Funded by Canadian Bishops' D&P Joins with Others to Denounce the "Natural Family" and "Family Rights"
- Financially Troubled Planned Parenthood of El Paso Closes Doors
- Abortion Linked to Subsequent Pre-Term Births, New Research Again Confirms
- New Orleans Homosexual Couple Ask Fed. Court to Overturn Marriage Amendment
- Slim Hope Of New Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Promoting Pro-Life, Pro-Family Issues
- Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop Caught Involved in Homosexual Encounters
- Young Children Removed from UK Schools for "Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour"
- Northern Ireland Politician Cleared of Wrongdoing after Reiterating Christian Teaching on Homosexual Acts
- UK Conservative Leader Speaks at Gay Pride Fundraiser
- More Letters to the Editor on Canadian Catholic Development and Peace Scandal (July 1)
- Letters to the Editor - Readers Respond to Development and Peace Scandal
- Watch This Dramatic New Video on Catholic Bishops Conference Funding of Pro-Abortion Groups
Most Read this Week
- Homosexual Duke U. Director Charged with Offering Adopted 5-Year-Old for Sex
- Famed Fr. Corapi Calls Canadian Bishops' Dissent from Humanae Vitae "Catastrophic"
- Pope: It is a Childish Faith to Oppose the Church Teaching on Life and Family
- Heroically Pro-Life Brazilian Archbishop's Resignation Accepted Under Cloud of Vatican Newspaper Misrepresentation
- General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase Out Lab Rats
- LifeSiteNews Detailed Response to Canadian Bishops' Whitewash Report on Development and Peace
- Young Children Removed from UK Schools for "Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour"
- Is Pro-Choice the New Pro-Life?
- Swedish Parents Won't Tell if Child is Boy or Girl as Gender Experiment
- Cardinal Rigali: You Can't Claim to be "Reducing Abortions" but Publicly Funding them in D.C.
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.