VANCOUVER, June 8 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Yesterday, Archbishop Adam Exner of Vancouver issued a statement on the World March of Women 2000. In his letter the bishop writes that “the Archdiocese of Vancouver, with the full and strong support of its Presbyteral Council and its Archdiocesan CWL, does not support the World March of Women 2000 with its present international and national demands because some of these demands are ambiguous and some are directly opposed to essential and fundamental elements of Catholic teaching.”
The letter requests that “the CCCB, the National CWL Council, and the CCODP review and reconsider their decision to support the World March of Women 2000 with it’s present international and national demands.” The letter also “requests the CCODP to reconsider its monetary contribution to the World March of Women 2000.”
It states that “The Archdiocese will delay forwarding its Share Lent contributions until it has been adequately assured that its contributions will be used only for third world projects and needs that are not in conflict with Catholic teaching.” Bishop Exner asks the CCCB and the other groups supporting the march to “consider measures and means other than,” the march, “to promote the elimination of poverty and violence against women.”
“The Archdiocese of Vancouver would be willing to change its present stance if the ambiguous and offensive international and national demands could be changed to exclude every thing offensive to Catholic teaching. If that could be done, then the March could be supported; otherwise it cannot,” concludes the letter.