OTTAWA, Jan 19, 2001 (LSN.ca) – In response to a letter from the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) protesting a letter of congratulations sent by the Governor General of Canada to a ‘wedded’ homosexual couple, the Governor General sent a letter of explanation to the CCCB. A press release by the CCCB notes “the CCCB accepts the personal explanation of the Governor General that the message sent from her office “did not imply political intent.” But the CCCB continues, “Nevertheless, the CCCB remains convinced that the political use that was made of the message both at the ceremony and in subsequent media reports and headlines could not go unanswered.” The release concludes that “the Roman and Eastern Catholic Bishops of Canada, together with millions of other Canadians, will continue to be concerned about efforts to change the definition and reality of marriage as the sacred union of a man and a woman.”
Meanwhile a press release from the Canadian Catholic Civil Rights League and subsequent phone calls and emails to a CBC television program which ridiculed the CCCB’s stand on the issue has resulted in an apology. Dave Stephens, host of CBC’s Ontario Today apologized for his remarks on air. He stated, “On yesterday’s show, after we re-broadcast an interview Andy Barrie did with Monsignor Peter Schonenback about a letter the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops had written to the Governor-General, I made an off-the-cuff, and in retrospect, inappropriate comment. I would like to express my regret for having done so.” Stephens ridiculed the CCCB concern over the Governor General’s letter to the homosexual couple by making a ridiculous parallel, stating his concern that the Governor General’s visit to the unfortunate glue sniffing Innu children of remote Labrador would somehow be seen as an endorsement of their glue sniffing.
See the Bishop’s and the GG’s releases: https://www.cccb.ca/english/fullpublice.asp?ID=68 https://www.gg.ca/news/20010117_e.html
See related LifeSite coverage: https://lsn.ca/ldn/2001/jan/010117.html#2 https://lsn.ca/ldn/2001/jan/010116.html#1 https://lsn.ca/ldn/2001/jan/010118.html#5