Letters to The Editor.

From Anne Kloster on UNICEF (Nov 99, P.11)

I am sending you this parish bulletin from St. Ignatius Martyr Church because it is announcing a fund raising reception for the Mozambique flood victims with proceeds going to UNICEF.

About a year ago or so I read that the Vatican withdrew their support from UNICEF because they are very anti-life. I also remember reading about the Kosovo refugees and UNICEF supplying them with condoms and contraceptives in the refugee camps instead of blankets, medicine and food, which is what they desperately needed.

Gloucester, ON

Editor: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) together have just (April 2000) issued a new reproductive health manual for field workers in refugee situations. It openly promotes contraception, sterilization and abortion. In other words, no Catholic should give money to UNICEF.

You may download the document at the Website of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. For more information see C-Fam's "Friday Fax" of April 21, 00 (Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute), Tel [phone], E-mail: [e-mail].

From Stella Berry on ICEL 

I just had to write and say a big "Thank You" for the news that ICEL had been stopped (finally) from doing further damage to our once beautiful liturgy ("Vatican ices ICEL", CI, Mar 00, pp.28-29). Thanks be to God. To say it needed overhauling was putting it mildly. Maybe now we will gradually return to the solemn sacredness that used to be.

Thanks for your excellent magazine.

North Vancouver, B.C.

From W.J. Kazun, M.D.

I have been receiving your publication for a relatively short time and I must admit that I have enjoyed every issue, but the March 2000 is certainly one of the best issues that I have read.

The teachings of the Catholic Church on such topics as homosexuality, AIDS, annulments, pro-life, contraception, ICEL, and others, have been presented so clearly that there can be no misunderstanding. Most importantly, the responsibility of Catholics to adhere to the teaching of our Church according to the magisterium is very clearly explained. Hopefully, our Catholic politicians will see the light and adhere to the teaching of the Church.

Once again my sincere congratulations and thanks to all those involved in the production of this excellent Catholic publication.

Coquitlam, B.C.

From Janice Glover on Foster Parents' Plan (Apr 00, p.4)

Two years ago, I telephoned the local Foster Parents' Plan office to enquire about its policy on family planning issues. I was told that PLAN strictly adhered to financial support of families and villages to improve their economic situation through digging wells and sewers, irrigation of land, etc. However, it came to my attention recently that Foster Parents' Plan has a written Policy on Family Planning , which it carries out among adults and adolescents in countries where it operates. After corresponding with PLAN, I ascertained that it promotes and, indeed, actively participates in population planning activities, including artificial methods of birth control and abortion services.

With careless regard for family privacy, the PLAN Policy writes of addressing reproductive issues "sensitively and effectively". We can only imagine the sensitivity with which families and villages are told that future financial and technical assistance will depend on their adherence to PLAN's plans for them.

As a practising Catholic, I cannot in conscience give any support to such an organization, and, after consultation with my husband, I terminated our twenty-year association with PLAN Canada. I wrote to PLAN, and outlined the reasons why we were severing our relationship with them. I received a polite letter thanking my husband and me for our past support.

Then, CWL members at St. Benedict's Parish in Rexdale voted unanimously to terminate our financial support of a child through PLAN.

I appeal to all Catholics to discontinue support of Foster Parents' Plan. Its agenda is open for all to see: it is pro-abortion, anti-family, and careless of the well-being of those it has pledged to help. It does not deserve our support. It desperately needs our prayers.

Toronto, ON

From Mrs. Peter Labelle

A couple years ago, I, too, got concerned about sponsoring a child through PLAN and did some checking. I never got back a booklet but their response to my concerns left me in even more doubts about their truthfulness.

My husband and I talked about it and we prayed, because we had been sponsoring our foster child for years. We also decided to cease all donations to this "charity."

The reader from Alberta has confirmed for us that we were right in our decision about no longer contributing to PLAN as an organization "that supports all aspects of population control assistance.

Cochrane, ON

From Colin Burke on capitalism

Joseph Campbell's "Social Justice: capitalism assessed" (Apr 00, pp. 1416) says the object of capitalism is to produce wealth. Catholic social teaching says the object of producing wealth is to support families. I fear that if we find another word for capitalism as Mr. Campbell describes it, then "wealthism" would be a far more accurate one than "familyism." That is about my only criticism of capitalism as economic theory, bearing in mind that "economy," from the Greek, originally meant household management.

I have another mild objection, not theoretical, to Mr. Campbell's praise of capitalism: almost ignorant of history, as I am a typical product of the Canadian education system, I have yet a strong impression that the poverty which almost all suffered two hundred years ago, from which capitalism has rescued us after two hundred years, was largely due to the glorious dawn of industrial capitalism; anyway, I once read in Western Report that a historian of economics had found, by measuring meat consumption, that general natural wealth had been steadily increasing in Europe until the 15th century, when it sharply declined and afterward remained below that level until the 20th century.

Port au Port East, NF

From Rita Curley on Bill C-23 and CCCB 

I'd like to disagree agreeably with the editor's comment on the March 2 CCCB presentation on Bill C-23 (CI, Apr 00, p. 30). Several parishioners from Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Ignatius Martyr churches attended with me to listen to the CCCB delegation.

Bishop Brendan O'Brien was the first to enter with his heart-warming smile, and his attitude of "peace and good will," all of which made a positive impact on friend and foe alike. Both he and Msgr. Peter Schonenbach made a Christ-like presence felt as they delivered Christ's teachings.

The message given was. 'We are promoting the Sacrament of Marriage as far as Catholics are concerned, and also the institution of marriage as far as the country is concerned."

The advice given was: "The government must find ways to strengthen and protect marriage which is an institution that is fundamental to the building up of civilization," and taking into account "the best interest of the child." Also, "in fact marriage among people who have been living in a common-law relationship--and what not--are not that stable when marriage actually occurs."

Concern was expressed that "a major shift is taking place, widening the grounds for eligibility for common-law benefits from simply the opposite-sex couples, to include the same-sex couple," noting "the new principle that is coming in giving benefits; that has to be looked at too."

Reform MP Eric Lowther summed it up best in noting, "You're not particularly against anybody," but, "You have a problem with some behaviour some people choose to participate in."

MP John McKay (not a Catholic) asked: "Would you be more comforted by this bill if in fact it contained a definition of marriage?" and "What would be other ways in which you think the government should strengthen and protect marriage?" Bishop O'Brien said, "I think we already stated that," and explained some more.

But what "made my day" was when Mr. Eric Lowther voiced his appreciation of "your answers today. I'm not a Catholic, but the more you answer these questions, I'm thinking of becoming one." When the debate was over, I thanked Mr. Lowther for his stand on this vital issue.

Ottawa, ON

Editor: Our report referred first to the written submission of the CCCB which we judge to be inadequate in setting out a Catholic position. We also have gone carefully over Hansard's transcript of the Committee meeting and received the same impression from it.

Bishop O'Brien was trying to be charitable, for which he is to be congratulated. However, he was not prepared for the questions asked. His answers were often imprecise. He sometimes did not answer questions until pushed repeatedly to do so. He only once used the phrase, "The Church's position is." He never used the phrase, "The Church teaches," despite the fact that telling Canada what the Church teaches is what his charism is all about.

As a matter of interest, Bishop O'Brien used the words "I think" 27 times, "we feel" three times, "I guess" twice, "it seems to me" twice, and these phrases once: "I would say", "we're suggesting ", "I suggested ", "I would suggest" and "I really feel". Msgr. Schonenbach said "I mean "four times, "I think" twice, and "you might say once.

In general, the delegation's position suffered from the same confusion as that of the written paper, that is, confusion about why the CCCB is contributing to legislation in the making; secondly, confusion about its own position. Finally, why did they con gratulate a government about to introduce unacceptable legislation?

From Cheryl Lebel re March for Women (Apr 00, p.30)

A week ago I was proud to be a Catholic; today I'm embarrassed and disgusted. The World March of Women is occurring in Canada throughout this year. It has the support of our Catholic bishops, the Catholic Women's League is giving them their seal of approval, and Development and Peace puts the icing on the cake by making a $100,000 donation.

The World March of Women is not good news for Catholic women. A couple of the goals of the march are the usual list of feminist demands--"to promote the human rights of lesbians" and "to provide publicly funded abortion services in all regions and communities across Canada." Did nobody read the demands of this March? The official website for the march makes no attempt to hide the truths. These are hardly the beliefs of the Catholic Church!...

Powassan, ON

From Jim Glover

How can Development and Peace undermine the dedicated work of prolifers by succumbing to the idiotic scheme of funding pro-abortion activism?

If Bishop Wiesner would readily accept a challenge in his sincerity to assist his pro-life confreres he might consider an alternative solution by putting the donated money to a wise purpose. Two pro-life demonstrators from our own parish, along with six other defenders of life, are waiting for a trial date to be announced on May 4, 2000. Their plight--charges against them for "unlawful assembly" and the display of "obscene material" in the form of graphic abortion posters in front of high schools. Their court costs in this matter are approaching $4,000.00 and are being incurred at their own expense. Perhaps Bishop Wiesner may see the light of day and forfeit his donation to pro-choice by standing for the truth in defending life.

Sturgeon Falls, ON

From Sturgeon Falls Parish Council to CCCB

We are weary of our hard-earned money going to such causes, and this letter is a statement of policy by the Parish Council that this situation must end. Our parish will no longer participate in the collections for Development and Peace and we are in the process of educating and urging other parishes to act in similar fidelity to the teaching of Holy Mother Church. Every ounce of the Church's resources, whether financial or spiritual, should be directed entirely to the effort to end abortion, the greatest evil of all time, a crime which cries out to God for vengeance, and is even now bringing His vengeance upon the Church in Canada. To justify such a tremendous outlay of funds on the grounds that, although you are personally opposed to abortion, you feel it is a great way to "celebrate the Jubilee", by participating in the many other ideologies of the women's movement, is to stretch credibility beyond limit, and is truly an insult to human intelligence

Sturgeon Falls, ON

From Lettie Morse

The article on "Social justice: taking stock" by Joseph Campbell correctly asserts that the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops "has consistently approved or tolerated policies and practices that tend to undermine families." A blatant example of this is their endorsement of the Women's Day March, with a reservation against "publicly funded abortions." That the feminist sponsors of the "March" have a whole anti-family and anti-religious agenda does not seem to bother them.

It is equally shocking that so-called "Catholic" organizations have fallen into line to cheer on these anti-religious women in their efforts to dismantle Christian moral laws and replace them with secularism, or the "New Age" religion. "Judasism" seems to be amazingly widespread in the Canadian Catholic Church. It is not only shocking, it is dishonest, in my opinion, for the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace to collect money in Catholic parishes and donate it to the enemies of the Church ($110,000 to this group alone).

Several members of the Catholic Women's League here have mailed or phoned protests to the National Executive, against its decision to support the "March". The national president, Sheila Pellerin, claims there was little opposition to this decision. How could we protest against what we did not know? We were only officially informed about CWL support for the "Women's Day" activities, which began on March 8th, through the April issue of the League magazine. The centrefold article urged all councils to support the March, and to write to our MPs to grant the feminists' demands.

There has been little if any grassroots support for this March, whether among Catholics or others. If it were not for government funding, such an activity would not be held. The National Action Committee on the Status of Women, sponsors of the "March", do not represent most Canadian women's views.

Ottawa, ON

From Leo Coyle on "for whom the bell tolls"

The first question always asked by the newspeople of pro-life activists at the scene is "Why are you here?"

We know how and where innocent lives are being taken by an evil as deep and foul as slavery, genocide or tyranny. A few persons, seeing the assault on decency and justice have taken their protest to the scene of the crime--the abortion facilities where the unborn are (or will be) attacked and slain in the cruelest ways that man's ability to destroy can devise.

It is incredible what some pro-life protesters like Linda Gibbons of Ontario are undergoing for daring to take the fight to the scene of the crime, rather than being content with writing about it or condemning it from a distance. The abortionists are allowed to report these heroes and heroines to the police who deliver them to judges, who cite their simple presence and protests as against the law.

In other words, it is deemed not only that abortion is a legal right, but that Canadians must accept it silently without any effective protest. It is not a question of obeying the law or of trespass in the protesting of it. It is rapidly becoming a question of giving abortion free and unprotested operation within Canadian society. The only public and vocal opinion to be allowed in this collaboration among the abortionist and the courts and the police is that which is pro-abortion.

Abortion is receiving a privileged and protected position through the judicial persecution of pro-lifers. The right to free speech, the right to peaceable assembly, the right to defend life, the right to prevent a natural crime of murder are being denied, with the pretext that not only is abortion legal, but that no one should be allowed to make the case to the contrary--that it cannot and must not ever be truly legal.

The saddest part of the whole affair is that these heroes and heroines are undergoing a real martyrdom--insulted, fined, imprisoned, and marked as mentally unbalanced--without any word of support from those who are considered leaders of religious truth and arbiters of morals. The bishops who signed statements against wars and weapons, against exploitation of the poor, over economic power against the less powerful--these are all silent about the war on life, against judicial power oppressing pro-life protesters. These martyrs are left unaided and uncomforted by rear-line generals and one-eyed moralists.

No nation or institution or culture will long survive major violations of the natural law. Canada will not survive forever the so-called legalization of abortion. Nature will apply a sanction, just as surely as it applied the sanction of AIDS to sexual immorality.

We don't know the identities or the future that Providence would have granted the murdered unborn millions that this country loses to abortion in the course of years. They are like the few unknown heroes we honour on Remembrance Day. But that shall be righted in God's good time. The murdered victims shall be known and the relationship of their murder to this nation's welfare will be exposed, as will be the identity and the corruption of those who murdered them.

But what is certain is that abortion is killing more than the unborn. It is killing justice, equity, rule of law, respect for law, respect for the system; it has completely devastated the moral order and our very spiritual dimension has been seriously eroded. By doing so it is surely devastating Canada itself.

And those who are silent in all this grisly and tragic story of death are in some way and to some degree collaborators in what is happening. Most great evils could have been prevented by the voice of the good, voices that were unspoken and therefore unheard. Some future and perhaps imminent disaster awaiting Canada because of abortion could be prevented by such voices. As yet they are silent.

The triumph of the murder machinery that is grinding up this country's future is oiled as much by silence on the part of the good as by the power of the evil. A nation incapable of producing great indignation over such a barbaric, even diabolical evil as abortion, doesn't deserve to survive. And it won't.

You ask for whom the bell tolls?--IT TOLLS FOR YOU!

Gibbons, AB

From Glen Pereira

Please forgive me for not writing sooner. I have been unemployed for the last seven years, but I can afford to subscribe to a good magazine.

Catholic Insight is an excellent choice for any concerned Catholic or Catholic family. In this day and age where confusion abounds even within the Catholic Church it is a breath of fresh air to know that there are sources from which you can become informed as to what ails us and sometimes what we can do about it. Your magazine fits the bill very well.

My wife Mila and I have talked it over and we have decided to subscribe for two years instead of one. We will also pray for you and your staff every night for the continued success of your work. If you can, please pray for us as well.