By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
TORONTO, April 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic Principal’s Council of Ontario has invited Stephen Lewis to be the keynote speaker at its annual conference to be held in Toronto April 30 to May 2, 2009. The conference is entitled Celebrating the Human Face of God.
However, Lewis has a long record of outspoken opposition to Catholic moral principles on sexuality, marriage, and the sacredness of life.
In addition to his political activity in Ontario as one time leader of the New Democratic Party, which openly states its support for abortion on demand, Lewis’ long history with the UN includes positions as Canadian Ambassador to the UN, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Lewis is one of the world’s most vigorous campaigners for universal “abortion rights” and the use of condoms to stop the AIDS virus epidemic in Africa.
The Stephen Lewis Foundation has recently been targeting Uganda with its condom promotion. Over the last two decades, however, Uganda has achieved unprecedented success in combating AIDS with its indigenous “ABC” AIDS/HIV programs. The ABC program – Abstinence, Be faithful, Condoms – teaches Ugandans that chastity and monogamous marriage are the best ways to curb the AIDS crisis. However, the successful Ugandan program is now being threatened by Western organizations, including the Stephen Lewis Foundation, that insist on inundating the country with condoms.
The president of the Catholic Principal’s Council of Ontario, Joan Duckitt, writes on the group’s website that the “conference will begin with the Liturgy of the Word on Thursday evening and a keynote address from Stephen Lewis, one of the world’s most influential humanitarians.”
The Conference Co-chairs, Silvana Gos and Sarah Russell, are more enthusiastic in their praise for Lewis, saying, “Mr. Lewis is one of the world’s most influential speakers on human rights, social justice and international development. This world renowned speaker will set the stage for our conference and help us to find within our school communities the reflection of God in the faces of each person that we encounter. He will also help us to embrace our work towards a campaign for social justice, equality and human dignity for each child that we touch.”
Earlier this month Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary sent a letter to the Calgary Catholic Teachers’ Association suggesting that they direct their Lenten alms funds to organizations in Africa that follow the guidelines of the Catholic Church, rather than giving them to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
In a letter to the editor of the Calgary Herald, Bishop Henry said the Christian virtues of chastity, abstinence and fidelity are “the most effective means of primary HIV prevention,” and should not be pushed aside as valid prevention options in favor of passing out condoms.
In 2001 Bishop James Wingle raised objections to the choice of Stephen Lewis as 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 pro-life newspaper the Interim at the time that the CHAC in general “ought not to lend support to people who have positions contrary to Catholic teaching,” and specifically that, “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.”
To express your concern to the Catholic Principal’s Council of Ontario:
Joan Duckitt, CPCO President
400 – 161 Eglinton Ave. East
Toronto, Ontario M4P 1J5
Phone: 416-483-1556
1-888-621-9190
Fax: 416-483-2554
Email: [email protected]
To contact the Office of the Archbishop of Toronto:
Archbishop Thomas Collins
Catholic Pastoral Centre
1155 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1W2
Phone: (416) 934-0606, ext. 609
Fax: (416) 934-3452
Email: [email protected]
Read related LSN articles:
Calgary Catholic Teachers Association Pulls Support For Condom-Promoting Stephen Lewis Foundation
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040707.html
Canadian Archdiocese Advertising Fundraiser for Anti-Catholic Abortion/Condom Promoter
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08101009.html
Bishop Objects To Stephen Lewis Speaking At Catholic Health Conference
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/mar/01032801.html
U.N.‘s Top AIDS Envoy Forgets Diplomacy in Demonizing U.S. Abstinence First Strategy
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jul/04071602.html