PEMBROKE, Ontario, April 11, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pembroke Bishop Richard Smith, the current President of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops, has banned the dissident Catholic New Times newspaper from parishes in his diocese.”I am hereby directing any parish that facilitates distribution of this newspaper to cease doing so immediately,” wrote Bishop Smith in a letter to all pastors dated February 11.

The February edition of the ‘Catholic New Times’ “editorial comment contains views which are clearly at odds with the teaching of the church on faith and morals,” Bishop Smith said. “In my judgement, it is not appropriate to have copies of this newspaper made available through our parishes, as this could be interpreted as diocesan approbation of its views.”

Furthermore,the February edition ofÂthe Catholic New Times said, “The church’s teaching on homosexuality seems to us out of touch with growing scientific evidence on the nature of homosexuality itself.” The editorial added,”Same-sex, loving and committed relationships and the sexual expression thereof can be holy and may even be sacramental.”

The Catholic New Times’ decades long dissent from Catholic teaching on major issues such as abortion, same sex ‘marriage’ and a female priesthood, is not news, but it is a source of constant scandal to many laity and faithful clergy.

Despite the flagrant anti-Catholicism exhibited by the paper, it is nonetheless still available inÂhundreds of Catholic churches and schools across Canada. Of note, CNT editor Ted Schmidt was harshly critical of Pope John Paul on the CBC and Vision TV during prime time media coverage following the Pope’s death.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Anti-Catholic Paper Allowed in 70% of London, Ontario Parishes Opposes Bishop’s Same-Sex Marriage Fight
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/feb/05022201.html
Analysis Finds Canadian ‘Catholic New Times’ Newspaper Anything But ‘Catholic’
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/mar/05031503.html

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