News
Bishops of Canada Launch New National Program
Reporting Sexual Abuse Committed by or Covered up by a Bishop
On May 6th, 2021, the Bishops of Canada launched a national bilingual service for reporting situations of sexual abuse either committeed by, or covered up by, a bishop who is presently active or retired from ministry in a diocese in Canada. This reporting system can be accessed online at: BishopReportingSystem.ca or via a toll-free telephone number at: 1-866-892-3737.
More information on the reporting system can be accessed at Bishop Reporting System
CCCB Executive Committee Statement on the Implementation of UNDRIP in Canadian Legislation
In a statement issued on April 26, 2021, the CCCB encourages "Parliamentarians currently debating Bill C-15 to work diligently, in consultation and solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in Canada, so as to ensure the timely and necessary inclusion of UNDRIP [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indegenous Persons] within Canadian law and thus contribute to truly respectful and just relations in this land."
CCCB Executive Committee Statementon the Implementation of UNDRIP in Canadian Legislation
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Sunday, April 25, is World Day of Prayer for Vocations. On this day Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations, particularly to the priesthood and religious life.
Pope Francis' message is available here.
Message from the CCCB
On April 8, the CCCB published a message to the faithful on the Expansion of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada.
In part the message says:
"At this point, it is important to become informed, to renew our involvement wherever we live, and to partner with members of our parish or other faith groups and organizations to continue lobbying our elected officials about these matters. Above all, we need to pray earnestly for a new outpouring of grace, so that the fear and despair experienced by many will give way to courage and hope and that all may welcome the call to support the suffering and dying in ways that reflect the loving and compassionate gaze of Jesus, the risen Lord who lives forever."
The entire message can be found here.
Bishop Bart's Easter Message
Grace and peace be yours in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
It only seems like yesterday that we set out together with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem; we had just entered Alert Level 5. Forty days later, we celebrated His entrance into Jerusalem, with church openings and a gradual reprieve on restrictions. It has been a year of ups and downs, of suffering alongside those who have suffered unemployment, isolation, security and a sense of personal safety, and moments of resurrection, new hope and great love.
As we have walked the road together with Christ, so may our sufferings, and the sufferings of the world, be turned into joy. As we have been called to die to self and walk in solidarity with one another, may we draw on His gift of new birth. May the risen Lord, in all His mercy, bless your family and loved ones, and may you rejoice anew in the Mystery of Salvation. Happy Easter!
Click here to read the letter in its entirety.
Grace and peace be yours in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
It only seems like yesterday that we set out together with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem; we had just entered Alert Level 5. Forty days later, we celebrated His entrance into Jerusalem, with church openings and a gradual reprieve on restrictions. It has been a year of ups and downs, of suffering alongside those who have suffered unemployment, isolation, security and a sense of personal safety, and moments of resurrection, new hope and great love.
Holy Week has taken on a new meaning for many of us. If we have not shared in the sufferings of Christ ourselves, we have witnessed His sufferings in the lives of neighbours, friends and family members. Jesus chose to stand with the marginalized, the ostracized and the downtrodden. His own sufferings are not so much to be pitied as they are to be instructive, pointing us to the wounds of those who suffer unnecessarily, in our communities and in our world.
Through it all, the cross is not the final word. It pales in the light of Christ’s victory over sin and death. Though afflicted for a time and for a season, our hope grows stronger -- not in that which will eventually fade, but in the life Christ has won for us. It is a life that begins in the here and now, resplendent in the light of his mercy and love, and culminates in the hereafter with songs of praise and thanksgiving. “Christ is risen! He is truly risen!” “Let us rejoice and be glad”.
As we have walked the road together with Christ, so may our sufferings, and the sufferings of the world, be turned into joy. As we have been called to die to self and walk in solidarity with one another, may we draw on His gift of new birth. May the risen Lord, in all His mercy, bless your family and loved ones, and may you rejoice anew in the Mystery of Salvation. Happy Easter!
Easter Message - President of the CCCB
In his Easter message, the Most Rev. Richard Gagnon, in reflecting upon this past year while looking forward to the joy and hope of Easter, says, in part:
"This Easter, perhaps more than ever, there is good reason to be hopeful in our faith and to live a true Christian realism where we clearly acknowledge the reality of our present situation with all its lights and shadows. An Easter Faith means simply to believe that God’s hand can be found everywhere and, in every event, however happy or sad, knowing, as St. Paul says:
'…that all things work together for good for those who love God'"
The entire message is available here.
Employment Opportunity
Pope's Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Year of the Family
Amoris Laetitia Family Year begins today, March 19, 2021 and culminate on the 10th World Meeting of Families (in Rome) on June 26th, 2022. Officials from the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, along with a married couple, introduced the Year in a press conference.
From Vatican News site "Church 'exults with joy' at Year Amoris Laetitia Family"
Solidarity Sunday
From Bishop Bart's Letter : "Solidarity Sunday reminds us that the Journey to Easter is not a solitary one. Our Share Lent collection, taken up on March 21st, goes a long way in establishing bonds of fellowship and shared hope with our friends and partners in the Global South. ... Christianity begins (and ends) with Christ’s gift of his entire self, it also finds expression in our gift of ourselves. For more information on Development and Peace, and their on-line campaign this year, please go to www.devp.org. Thank you for making this year’s Development and Peace campaign a true success."