By Tim Waggoner
OTTAWA, ON, July 4, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Canada’s Catholic bishops have followed the lead of Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto by taking a unified stance against the Canada Day decision to promote the nation’s most prolific killer of the unborn, Henry Morgentaler, to the Order of Canada. Many of Canada’s bishops have not only released statements on the “travesty,” but have requested Prime Minister Harper and the Governor General to revoke the award.
Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa criticized the divisive nature of the decision and affirmed the duty of all Catholics to defend life at all stages.
“As a Canadian, I am saddened to learn that Henry Morgentaler has been awarded the Order of Canada,” said the Archbishop. “As Catholic Christians, we must affirm and defend the gift of life from the moment of conception to natural death. No one, in any circumstance, can claim the right to destroy an innocent human being. Anyone who devotes their energies to promoting abortion is a source of division on the most fundamental questions of life in society. Awarding the Order of Canada to Henry Morgentaler can only be a matter of disunity, offending many Canadians of conscience.”
Bishop James Wingle of St. Catharines wrote letters of protest to the Governor General and the Prime Minister and is preparing a pastoral letter on the matter for this Sunday.
“For you, as Governor General of Canada, to bestow on a man who has violated systematically and egregiously the deepest foundation upon which all human rights and freedoms stand, the sacred right of human life and the freedom to enjoy it, would be a complete travesty,” wrote Bishop Wingle. “In addition to Dr. Morgentaler’s vicious and public attack on the lives of thousands of innocent children in their mothers’ wombs, he has flaunted the rule of law in Canada and incited others to do likewise. You, Madame Governor General, are sworn to uphold the law of this nation, not to applaud those who flaunt it.”
“Your urgent attention to this matter is respectfully demanded,” he concluded.
In the letter addressed to PM Harper, the bishop said he recognizes that the PM is not involved in the choice of who is appointed to the Order of Canada, but nevertheless invoked Harper to “intervene personally and immediately” because the “values at stake are of such magnitude.”
The Calgary Sun reported that Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary has also questioned the divisive choice made by those who appointed Morgentaler to the Order of Canada.
“It’s a shame…how can you cause such division when we’re supposed to be bringing Canadians together and celebrating Canadian identity – so many recipients who have done so many great things are getting lost in all this,” he said.
“This debases the award – you’re not going to have the same prestige given it,” affirmed Bishop Henry.
The bishop then invoked politicians who have continually dodged the abortion issue to start pushing for the implementation of an abortion law in Canada.
“So many politicians are disassociating themselves from this…stop fobbing it off to the Supreme Court justices,” said Bishop Henry.
Canada’s national Catholic magazine, Catholic Insight, joined the chorus of those condemning the naming of Morgentaler to the Order of Canada. Editor Father Alphonse de Valk characterized the appointment as a national disgrace.
Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, who has also written the Governor General asking for the reversal of the decision, released a statement condemning Morgentaler’s being named to the Order:
“The decision to award the Order of Canada to Dr. Henry Morgentaler devalues the significance of this honour and offends all Canadians who recognize and treasure the precious gift of human life in the womb. The Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest awards. It should not be awarded to one whose work results in the destruction of innocent human life through abortion. The decision should be reversed.”
Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London joined his voice with the millions of Canadians who desire that the decision be reversed.
“I join Catholics across Canada, as well as many other Canadians who respect the value of every human life, in urging the Governor General to revoke this decision,’’ he said.
“We believe in the dignity of every human person and affirm that human life must be respected and protected from the moment of conception until natural death,’’ explained Fabbro.
The bishop wondered what Morgentaler was being honoured for: “Through his efforts, hundreds of thousands of unborn children have been killed,’’ he said. “How can we celebrate this carnage by honouring its author?’‘
Reports confirm that Bishop Nicola De Angelis has sent out notices on the Morgentaler decision to all parishes in his Peterborough diocese.
“Far from improving our country, Dr. Morgentaler’s actions continue to create controversy and division in our nation. In the name of freedom of choice, he has encouraged the development of a culture of death and has thus attacked the most vulnerable, the unborn,” stated the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in a press release.
The CCCB said that it feels the Order itself has been debased by Morgentaler’s inclusion in it, stating, “Awarding such a decoration in this context discredits the Order of Canada. It amounts to an inadmissible affront to the numerous Canadians who dedicate their lives to the protection of the most vulnerable, especially the unborn.”
“We ask the appropriate authorities to reconsider this nomination and not to award this distinction to Dr. Morgentaler,” concluded the statement.
For Archbishop Collin’s Statements on the issue please see:
Archbishop Calls All Catholics to Demand National Award to Abortion Doc be Revoked
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08070101.html