Speak and it shall appear

In yesterday's post, I presented some of the recent goings-on in the world of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops who have recently applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Sciences with regard to the conciences of health-care workers who are sometimes faced with decisions which can infringe on their sense of morality.

Call it fate, or even the hand of providence, but low and behold, I found an article in today's local paper which speaks to this very situation. The article is published by the Canadian Press and is entitled Keep religion out of practice, doctors warned. Here's a short exerpt:

The College of Physicians and Surgeons says doctors who bring their religious and moral beliefs into their medical practice will have to think twice about potential repercussions. The body that governs the province's doctors unanimously voted (yesterday) in favour of a policy that wil limit the right of doctors to refuse to provide medical treatment if it infringes on their
belief system.

Canada often refers to the United States of America as 'our neighbour to the south'. If this most recent development is any indication, at least in some aspects, these neighbours are gearing up for a difference of opinion.

When conscience matters

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a press release this week, commending the work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“We strongly commend the Secretary (of the HHS) for publishing these proposed regulations,” the USCCB wrote. “For over three decades…, Congress has sought to ensure that health care institutions and professionals will not have to choose between abandoning medicine and violating their conscience…. The proposed regulations would implement these longstanding federal statutory protections, and thus help guarantee that health care institutions and professionals are not pushed into this Hobson’s choice,” where one is forced to go against one’s conscience or leave the practice of medicine.

The HHS issued the regulations to protect the right of conscience for those involved in the health care field as of August 21 of this year, and the bishops of the United States were quick to publish their praise for the guidelines.

Prior to the August date, while the issue of rights of conscience for medical care workers was being debated in the U.S. Congress, Justin Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia and Chair of the USCCB Committee for Pro-Life Activities addressed his concerns to the members of the Congress.

What of the situation in other countries?

Pensés about Paris ... and points beyond

The Holy Father returned from his apostolic visit to France just a few days ago. This morning, during the weekly General Audience, he reflected in a spirit of gratitude with the pilgrims who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square about his voyage and about the faith he encountered while he was there.

Here's a snippet from the text of his speech from this morning:

Our encounter today gives me the opportunity to retrace the
steps of my recent Pastoral Visit to France. After a warm welcome in Paris, I
met with men and women from the world of culture, with whom I reflected on the
monastic ideal of seeking God—quaerere Deum—as the bedrock of European culture. I wished to emphasize that meditation on the Scriptures opens our minds and hearts to the Logos, God’s Creative Reason in the flesh. In the magnificent
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, I gathered with bishops, priests, religious and
seminarians, sharing with them the treasures of the Holy Spirit and the Cross.
My brief stop at the Institut de France was followed by the joyful Eucharistic
celebration on the Esplanade des Invalides. I then made my way to Lourdes to
join thousands of pilgrims in this Jubilee year commemorating the apparitions of
Our Lady to Saint Bernadette. The Holy Mass near the Grotto of Massabielle
providentially coincided with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the
perennial sign of the "mystery of death and of glory". The Cross demonstrates
that God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son. It teaches us that
there is no genuine love without suffering, and no gift of life without pain.
Lourdes is thus a school of faith and hope because it is a school of charity and
service. I am deeply grateful to God and to all who made this trip a blessed,
memorable success. Thank you!

In case you're interested, an entire list of the texts of the Holy Father's speeches and greetings during his voyage in France is also available. Happy reading!

Reading scripture online

Call this the week for me to catch up with what's going on around town, or in the internet society, around this part of the world.

A few weeks ago, the CCCB re-issued one of it's most popular resources entitled The Word of God in Scripture. The first issue of this resource was published in 1999, and stocks have now been depleated. This 20-page guide which helps Catholics to read and interpret the bible has been reissued but this time it's available on-line so the user can print his-her own copy right from the comfort of home.

The Word of God in Scripture begins by showing the importance and place of the written Word of God in the whole of Christian life. It presents the conditions for fruitful reading of the Bible, suggests a plan to follow, and offers a list of tools for deeper study. Finally, the guide offers some criteria for interpreting the Bible. 'The words of the Bible are indivisibly both the Word of God and human words that are directed toward faith, and are to be understood in the community of the living Church,' the guide indicates.

More information about this guide is available on the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Discernment at the heart

A little over a week ago, the Prime Minister of Canada visited the Governor General, asking her to disolve the sitting federal parliament, and effectively kicking off the campaign which will lead Canadians to the polls on October 14 of this year.

For many years now, the bishops of Canada have issued documents at times such as these which they hope will act as guides to make people aware of the issues at hand, and sharpen our awareness of how to ask the proper questions. The guidance given by the bishops is not aimed at persuading individual voters to elect particular individuals but rather at making Catholics aware of the questions that need to be asked and to encourage Catholics to voice their concerns with political candidates.

The Federal Election 2008 Guide lists some basic moral principles from Catholic moral teaching to help voters examine and evaluate public policy and programs.

More information can be found on the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Visiting anew

The Holy Father left Rome yesterday and travelled to France where he will be present for four days to mark the 150th Anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin at Lourdes. This apostolic journey is his first to France so he met with government dignitaries upon his arrival yesterday. In addition, he met with young people last night in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Today, his visits will include the Institut de France, Mass at the Esplanade des Invalides (Paris) and a torchlight procession in Rosary Square in Lourdes.

A full list of the various meetings and encounters during the Holy Father's visit to France is posted on the Vatican website.

Love and young couples

What can young committed couples do that will best enhance their love for one another? In a culture where many are turning away from the tradition of Marriage, the Theology Commission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has recently published a pastoral message entitled What Does Marriage Add to Your Love which encourages couples to re-examine the Sacrament of Marriage as a viable option.

'We wish to encourage and support you in your search to fulfill your deepest
desires and find happiness. We suggest some thoughts for your reflection,
and share some insights on Christian marriage that have been offered by other
couples engaged on the same journey'.

The bishops of Canada have thus continued to teach about this very important subject, especially considering that many in some parts of Canada have been steadily drawn away from the teachings of the Church over the past number of decades. The work of evangelization in such a culture is increasingly challenging, but there is still evidence of hope, especially among those who seek answers to the questions of life. They may not always look to the Church for guidance, but indirectly, they can be referred to the beauty of our tradition, a story that is still alive and available to us.

Sydney to Synod

In October of this year, there will be a gathering of the Synod of Bishops in Rome to discuss The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. In anticipation of this gathering, a working document has been distributed to all Conferences of Bishops throughout the world, and through them to all participating bishops.

Today in Rome, the Holy Father appointed Sydney (Australia) Archbishop George Pell as president delegate of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. As such, Cardinal Pell will preside in the Holy Father's name over the proceedings of the Synod which will take place next month.

In the Latin Church, Synods are periodic gatherings of bishops called together to meet in Rome to confer on some major subject of importance to the life of the Church. It is perhaps fitting that during the Year of Saint Paul which we are currently observing, the Synod should focus on the Word of God.

I'm sure there will be more to talk about in this respect before long.

50 days later

Many innovations were introduced during the recent celebration of World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia including an online community known as XT3 (which stands for Christ in the third millennium). This communication tool is enjoying great success, providing a very efficient way to keep contacts up to date with one another long after the memories of the international festival held down under have begun to fade.

Today, as part of the celebrations of the Feast of Mary's birthday, the Holy Father himself sent a message to all registered users of the XT3 system. The Vatican has long been known for it's advanced knowledge of various communication media, and Benedict XVI is certainly making great strides to keep up with the technological era.

As the Church celebrates major feasts, it is somewhat customary that the 50th day following some of these feasts like Christmas and Easter are marked by other related feasts. Today marks 50 days since the conclusion of the World Youth Day festivities which were held in Sydney in July of this year. The Holy Father's message to youth calls for them to remember the gathering down under, but also asks them to pray for the success of his upcoming travel to France. Here, have a read and see what you think:

Dear Friends,

Fifty days ago we were together for the celebration of Mass.
Today I greet you on the birthday of Mary, Mother of the Church.
Empowered by the Spirit and courageous like Mary, your pilgrimage of faith
fills the Church with life!
Soon I am to visit France.
I ask you all to join me in praying for the young people of France.
May we all be rejuvenated in hope!

BXVI

Some of the participants in Sydney were only teenagers. Imagine what a boost to their faith it must be to receive a message from the Holy Father, inviting them to pray for other youth who are also seeking truth and guidance in their faith. Cudos to you B16!

Coming soon

As has become the custom over the past number of weeks, months and years, the texts of my homilies are published each week for the convenience of those who would rather read them than listen to them, or for those who for one reason or another cannot be present when these reflections are spoken at the Sunday liturgies.

After more than a year of posting the podcasts of these homilies as well as the texts, there was a technical glitch that stopped me from posting any new recordings of homilies, but I'm happy to tell you that finally this stumbling block seems to have been resolved. In the coming days, the weekly homilies will be available once again for your listening pleasure. I trust that many will be able to tune in, that this additional service will bear much fruit, and that the word of God will thus be spread far beyond the limits of the walls, pews and space of the venerable building where they are spoken live each week.

Remembering Mother

September 5th marks the day of remembrance in honor of one of the modern-day heros. Millions of people knew her, and the work she did seemingly tirelessly in the streets of India and throughout the world. Untold stories are recounted of her gentle but persistent nature and the unrelenting spirit that kept her going each day.

'Who is this miracle worker', you may ask; none other than Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. 'Mother' as she was known to the Sisters of Charity, found her strength in the hour of prayer she observed every morning, in the pre-dawn darkness. From first light, she moved untiringly through the streets of Calcutta seeking out the poorest of the poor, always seeking to provide them with at least a modicum of dignity and respect.

I'm not the only one to write about Mother Teresa today. In fact I wouldn't be surprised at all that there would be more than a little ink spilled in remembrance of her example of incarnating gospel values which continues to inspire so many today.

Setting out

The theme of new beginnings seems to be all round us. Not only children are starting new routines this week, but their parents also have to reaquaint themselves with the process of waking little ones, preparing them for the day ahead, getting them to their intended destinations ... and so much more.

This is also a time for discussion and vision about priorities that need to be set. Whether this happens around a table, in a boardroom, in a car while we frantically race from one place to another, or on the shores of a nearby lake as we soak in the summer weather which we know won't be around for too much longer, all of us need to take a moment to set course.

How fitting that the gospel passage proposed for today should speak of setting out into the deep. In the early days of this millenium, the Holy Father, John Paul II encouraged us all, with the words of today's gospel, to go into deep water. The Apostolic Letter which was published on the Feast of the Epiphany 2001 was entitled Novo Millenio Ineunte (At the beginning of the new millenium). Characteristic of his pastoral style, he called all faithful to accept this new beginning with abandon, to embrace it as a gift from the Lord, and to discover the riches that Jesus revealed to the fishermen on the shore of the Sea of Geneseret when he called them to 'put out into the deep'.

All is new again

Tradition in the northern hemisphere says that school starts during the week after Labour Day. Here we are. In most school boards across the province, yesterday was actually the first day of classes for elementary and high school students, and university lectures also begin this week. Students in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board hit the books this morning. Having attended a Professional Activity day yesterday, teachers and support staff welcome their new recruits and returning children today.

Thus begins what will be a series of months of learning for all involved. What wisdom will be discovered? What experiences will be lived? Who will be there to inspire these youngsters? Who will walk beside them, helping them to overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities that are yet to be discovered.

Just a few weeks ago, I offered some other musings on the subject of teachers and students. Check them out; they may inspire just a bit of fun, imagination and who knows what other surprises.