OTTAWA, June 1 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Speaking at an annual pro-life mass at the Lourdes Grotto in Vanier yesterday, Ottawa archbishop Marcel Gervais surprised his audience including the media and many pro-lifers with a very frank criticism of Prime Minister Jean Chretien. The archbishop addressed nearly 1,000 people at an outdoor mass, which marks the Feast of the Visitation. Gervais took issue with a statement made by the prime minister at this year’s Liberal convention as he attempted to distinguish his party from the Canadian Alliance: “Canadians do not want a right-wing party in this country. They do not want a party that does not support a woman’s right to choose.”
“He almost seemed to brag that one of the great accomplishments of the Liberal party is the right of women to choose,” criticized the archbishop. In an Ottawa Citizen article published today, Ed Morgan, a media spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed that the March 17 statement attributed to Mr. Chretien “does in fact reflect the Liberal party’s policy.” As the Citizen noted, “applause is unusual at church services,” but “the crowd applauded warmly at the conclusion of the homily.”
The Ottawa Citizen article doesn’t appear to be online, but you can get a faxed or emailed version of it by contacting LifeSite at [email protected]
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