Righting the wrongs

Today is a momentous day in the parliament of Canada. The Prime Minister is going to offer a former apology on behalf of the government to the First Nations people who were forced into residential schools in this country during the period from 1840 to 1996.

The official speech will be covered on CBC Radio and Television beginning at 3:00 pm EDT. In the meanwhile, there has been more than a little time devoted to spreading the news that this milestone in the recovery of so many who suffered at the hands of those responsible for the residential schools has finally arrived.

In anticipation of the apology being delivered, parliament hill is all abuzz because the procedure being put in place for the speech does not allow for public interventions on the part of any of the aboriginal leaders who will be in attendance in the House of Commons.

Over the past few years, various procedures have been put into place in an effort to bring some resolution or restitution to the alleged abuse or other harm suffered by students at residential schools in various parts of Canada. The schools were commissioned by the Federal Government and entrusted to the care of various church groups, including various Roman Catholic religious orders and the United Church of Canada.

Aside from the long-awaited apology from the Federal Government, there has been some measure of success with more informal meetings between former students in the residential schools and those who are facilitating some manner of healing. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission has not always had an easy road to travel, but the work of making peace is proceeding albeit slowly.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the national association of Bishops in this country greeted the formation of the TRC favorably. In fact, much work in this regard has been accomplished due to the continuing efforts put forth by various church groups. The process of reconciliation is never easy, and is most often ongoing for quite some time, however some very good signs are present: signs of peacemaking that has been a long time coming.

More on this issue to come, once the official apology has been spoken, and the fallout begins to shed its own shade of light.

FOCUS on health

What happens when teachers, health care workers, members of the local police force and other interested individuals get together? The answer is, 'some pretty interesting stuff'. There were about fifteen people present as participants shared a healthy lunch and then listened to the buzz about recent happenings in the area.

The particular focus of this meeting is the health of the community, specifically various means to promote healthy living among the local population. There are many facets to promoting health including helping individuals who are food insecure to find sustainable sources of healthy meals, assisting those with chemical and drug dependencies to face the truths from which they may be hiding, and creating environments where strangers can feel welcome.

From the very beginning of the discussion, I could tell that those who were there had a keen interest in what they were doing, and that they are all devoted to promoting healthy living within their own spheres of influence. Various activities including drug awareness among youth, especially as many high school students are preparing for graduation ceremonies; planting and caring for a traditional medicine garden, using the sacred medicines known and revered by the anishanabec people; and training in adictions councelling continue to chip away at the ever-present danger of falling victim to wayward lifestyles.

In truth, it's all about providing the tools so that people can be the best at what they do and at who they are, for if we have truly learned the lessons of life, we never stop marveling at life.

Hope springs eternal

In the early spring, the Canadian Cancer Society holds a major fundraising effort during which they sell dafodils. A little later in the summer, usually in June, the Cancer Society holds its annual Relay for Life.

For many years now, I have heard of the Relay which is an occasion for cancer survivors and their family and friends to commemorate those who have lost their battle with this disease, and to do something concrete to personify the hope that is always present for those who must so often watch from the sidelines while those we love suffer.

This past Friday, the annual Relay for Life was held here in Sudbury, and in most parts of Ontario. For the first time, I was able to participate. I was absolutely blown away to see the magnitude of this gathering. There was a sea of tents where some of the participants would spend the night. Fruit and water for the walkers was provided courtesy of some of the generous donors.

I arrived just in time to witness the victory lap. The overnight Relay begins with cancer survivors, adorned in yellow t-shirts, each carrying a brightly coloured balloon. Accompanied by their family and friends, the survivors walk one lap around the track and then release their balloons which float away in an explosion of colour. Participants walk laps of the track all through the night, ending at 7:00 am the next day. In the meanwhile, there is a variety of musical acts, and activities for children.

Perhaps most striking of all are the luminaries, candles which encircle the track and which are lit at dusk. The luminaries burn throughout the night as tributes to those who have lost their battle with cancer, or as tributes to those who are cancer survivors. In the case of the Sudbury Relay, luminaries were also placed in the stands overlooking the university track, spelling out the word HOPE in English, French and Ojibway.

Nestled among the tents which encircled the track, there was even a TeePee, a quiet but valuable reminder of the Ojibway First Nations who joined their prayer with ours as we all remembered loved ones who have battled cancer.

My experience of the Relay was so poignant that I reflected upon it in my weekly homily. Although I recognize that it may be very difficult for some cancer survivors to participate in the Relay, for various reasons, the truth is that this is one of the most poignant expressions of hope that I have seen because there is room for survivors, mourners and 'innocent' bystanders to participate in a physical activity while uniting their efforts and prayers for the suffering as well as for the repose of the souls of those who have died. Prayers are also offered on that night, as always, for the family and friends who must stand and watch as their loved ones battle for their lives.

What a tribute to life! What a tribute to love! What a tribute to all those who discover the true strength of love, the strength to overcome all adversity.

An attitude of gratitude

There are a few cracks in the walls that are beginning to show, and if we don't do something about them, they will only continue to worsen. Don't worry, at least for the moment, they probably won't fall down, but there's not much time to consider how to fix the problem.

The metaphor of which I speak is the real problem of world hunger. For many years, some proponents have been crying the wind about the ever-present problem of world hunger, but only in recent months does it seem that hunger has become a concern on the world stage. At least there are signs that some conversation is taking place about how to address the shortage of basic staples for our ever-growing population.

One of the theories that has been advanced is that the growing concerns for bio-fuels, in an effort to be more conscious about the long-term effects of basing our entire economy on non-renewable resources, has some inherent danger built in. The efforts to grow crops for the sole use of the production of bio-fuels has resulted at least in some cases with a decreased amount of arable land that can be used for the growing of food.

Admittedly, the problem is much greater than just the issue of bio-fuels. Over the past number of years, there have been steady decreases in the subsidies offered to farmers and since the prices of grains and other commodities on the world markets have also declined, it is not economically feasible in many cases for food to be grown in vast quantities.

We can continue to debate the issue. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization's summit, which wrapped up in Rome yesterday, might actually have come up with some real solutions, but the challenge is not to identify the solutions; it's putting them into practice. In the meanwhile, the bigger picture is just beginning to emerge and the long-term effects are rather daunting.

Hunger due to rising prices is already a force to be dealt with in places such as China, India and Vietnam but there is news from Nigeria that a seminary which currently houses more than 500 priests-in-the-making may have to be closed in the coming weeks because there just isn't enough food to go around.

Some very few of us have the means and the power to make things happen on this front. For the vast majority though, we may hear the news and we may even experience it personally, but when all is said and done, there is very little that we can do other than to pray for those who are suffering. I for one have a renewed awareness of the abundance that surrounds me, and pray every day for an attitude of gratitude for all that we have been given.

The Church in the modern world

Almost 43 years ago, the council fathers, gathered in Rome for the Second Vatican Council published the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the modern world (Gaudium et Spes, literatlly translated as 'The joys and the hopes'). One of the last documents to be published before the conclusion of the Council, it outlines the pastoral plan of how the Church should move ahead, reflecting the joys that are to be recognized and celebrated and the hopes of God's people.

Since the conclusion of the Vatican Council, we have continued to struggle in various ways as we try to implement the wisdom that was discussed, gleaned and hoped for during that four-year period (the Council began in 1962 and ended in 1965). Perhaps the struggle that we have faced is not so different from that which many individuals face when we dream of the person we want to be, the person that God has in mind for us. Even if we have a good idea about who we want to be, developing the traits of that person are not always easy. There are always bumps and grinds along the way. There are often twists and turns in the road that were never anticipated, but from which we learn some valuable lessons.

In the past forty-some years, our world has evolved as well, at an ever-increasing pace. We sometimes struggle to keep up to all the changes. Technological advances and the tools at our disposal are one thing, but finding the words to speak to today's generations about the joys and hopes of today can sometimes be a much more difficult task.

Although society in general seems to be ignoring the voice of the Church in some situations, all in the name of multi-cultural inclusion, there are still many who look to the Church for guidance, and we must be willing and able to provide the inspiration; otherwise we run the serious risk of being branded as 'lukewarm'.

In just two weeks time, the 49th International Eucharistic Congress will take place in Quebec City. His Eminence, Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec City recently voiced his own joys and hopes about the Congress. It is his fervent dream that the Congress would "draw the attention of the Catholic and secular media, so that people will realize that the Church is very much involved at the heart of the world bringing hope, love and strength to people committed to peace."

Let's all make some space in our lives for sharing good news with our world.

Enough for everyone

Have you ever known the pain of hunger? Has your stomach ever growled at a most inopportune time, leaving you at least somewhat embarrassed and hurrying to finish the business at hand so that you could tend to the pressing need to fill the void that is causing your digestive juices to do a dance?

Count yourself extremely lucky.

It seems strange that in today's world where some of us are surrounded by such abundance, there is still a problem of hunger in our world. Adults and children alike in places far and near just don't have enough to eat, and it's not because they choose this plight.

They say that pictures say a thousand words. One of the most graphic illustrations of the imbalance of power that exists, at least as far as access to food is concerned, can be seen in an on-line presentation entitled One Week's Worth of Food Around our Planet. Not only does this illustrate how much food we consume, but it also gives the average cost of food per week in various parts of the world. Prices are stated in local currencies and in US$ (for the sake of comparison). What I find most poignant is the disparity between the relative opulence of some tables and the stark reality that some of us have so very little. It sure makes you think, and give thanks.

The problem of world hunger is also the topic of discussion at a summit taking place in Rome this week. Representatives from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization are there to discuss the challenges that climate change and bioenergy place on the world's food supply. As the three-day conference began yesterday, the Vatican's Secretary of State, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone read a prepared statement on behalf of the Holy Father.

"Hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world which has, in fact, levels of production, resources and knowledge sufficient to put an end to such dramas and their consequences," the Pope said. "The great challenge of today is to 'globalize,' not just economic and commercial interests, but also the call for solidarity, while respecting and taking advantage of the contribution of all components of society."

The pope called on the delegates to take action in order to guarantee a right to food for all people. He told them that it is a matter of justice that we concern ourselves with feeding all those who hunger. To do otherwise would be to deny that the primary right to food is intrinsically linked to the safeguarding and defense of human life.

The FAO summit concludes tomorrow.

On the move

On Friday of this past week, the Vatican Press Office published the itinerary of the Holy Father's apostolic journey to Australia. A number of months ago, the plan to attend the 23rd World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney were confirmed, but the details of his travels have only now been made public.

Besides attending the official welcoming ceremonies on Thursday, July 17, during which he will meet more than 250,000 youth who will be on the shores of Darling Harbour in Sydney, and the overnight vigil which will take place at Randwick Racecourse on Saturday evening, he will preside at the closing liturgy which will take place at Randwick on Sunday morning, July 20.

In addition to his activities with young people, the Holy Father will benefit from his visit to Oceania to pay courtesy visits to the Governor General of Australia and to meet with representatives of other religious traditions in Sydney. He will also visit with bishops, priests and seminarians and novices from various dioceses throughout Australia.

The details of his visit in Australia are in some ways similar to his recent visit to Washington, DC and New York, when he paid visits to various representatives of other religious traditions as well as seminarians, priests, bishops and civil authorities. In truth, the pastoral visit to Australia is a continuation of the pontiff's pastoral responsibility to care for all the souls who are united in faith. Benedict XVI is continuing the commitment begun by his predecessor John Paul II toward the promotion of World Youth Day, a special international gathering of youth, but is also taking advantage of these voyages to visit with others and to build relationships with representatives of other Christian and non-Christian traditions.