In an advisory ruling on Dec. 9, 2004, the Supreme Court of Canada decreed that same-sex couples have an unequivocal equality right to marry under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario government followed up on Feb. 22, 2005 with Bill 171, an omnibus act to eliminate all references to traditional marriage in 73 Ontario statutes, by replacing words such [...]
In a statement on June 27, the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, presented a plan for expelling the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church of the United States from constituent membership in the worldwide Anglican communion. Specifically, Williams suggested that any Anglican church that unilaterally flouts Anglican doctrine should be reduced to the status of [...]
In recent years, Father Raymond Gravel has been well known in Quebec for his dissident views as a Catholic priest. He differs on abortion, same-sex “marriage,” homosexual priests, married priests, homosexuality, women priests, contraception and many other topics. He is almost a caricature. He is, however, often invited by the Quebec media to comment on church affairs. He is almost an official [...]
George Parkin Grant (1918-1988) is one of the most important Canadian thinkers. His various works are worthy of close study, for persons interested in political philosophy; in Canadian history, politics and culture; and in the philosophical critique of technology and late modernity. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the appearance of George Grant’s last major book, Technology and Justice. This was [...]
On Oct. 16, 2004, an unprecedented number of Nova Scotians voted on whether to allow Sunday shopping. In Halifax, 51 per cent said yes; province-wide, 55 per cent said no. The binding plebiscite made Nova Scotia the only Canadian province to reject Sunday shopping. Small businesses and services with less than 4,000 square feet (270 square metres) of retail space could still [...]
I have asked a number of Christian friends if they have seen the Da Vinci Code. Some have, but many haven’t and don’t intend to. Some indeed simply brush it off as being full of false teaching and rehashed attacks on Christ and so they aren’t interested. I think such an attitude is shortsighted. Christians can adopt a more positive outlook and [...]
To those not familiar with the Gospels, the title “Doubting Thomas” may appear strange. But Thomas, who was one of the Apostles, earned it. At the Last Supper, when Jesus said to the Apostles that He was “going to the Father,” it was Thomas who said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” [...]
In September 1986, I was completing my biography of the great British author Gilbert Keith Chesterton. He had died 50 years earlier and various supporters and devotees of his work had organized a conference around the man at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. I was fortunate enough to be invited over from my home in England to deliver a [...]
All saints are extraordinary, but St. John Vianney, known as “The Cure of Ars,” was most extraordinary. He was born at Dardilly, near Lyons, France. His father was a farmer and John spent most of his youth herding cattle and feeding pigs. He received virtually no education and joined the French Army, but deserted in 1809. The only thing he wanted to [...]
Birth Control: Is Canada Out Of Step With Rome? By Msgr. Vincent N. Foy (Life Ethics Information Centre, 128 pages, $9.95) Reviewed by Doug McManaman The Interim For 18 years, I’ve been teaching young people what exactly is the moral difference between contraception and the legitimate use of natural family planning and I’ve had no difficulties getting them to understand the reasonableness [...]
It's remarkable how theologically conservative Catholics and Protestants have come to appreciate over the past 30 years, that on many theological and moral issues, they have much more in common with each other than with liberal members of their own respective churches. Underlying this church-wide dividing line is a difference of opinion on the interpretation of Holy Scripture. Conservative Catholics and Protestants [...]
Commonly known as Don Bosco, St. John Bosco was born in Italy on Aug. 16, 1815. His father died two years later and he was reared in poverty by his very holy mother, Margaret. In 1841, he became a priest and took on as his principal work - the training of young boys to be good Christians, mainly through his own example. [...]
Capote Directed by Bennett Miller. Rated: R Review by Hilary White Reporter The Oscar-nominated film Capote opens with a long, still shot of the Kansas prairies creating the backdrop to a solitary farmhouse in which a young woman discovers the bodies of the Clutter family, murdered by two drifters, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. The murders and the two men become Truman [...]
The Interim The Court of Queen's Bench has reversed the 2002 Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission decision that found a man who placed references to Bible verses on homosexuality into a newspaper ad guilty of inciting hatred. Both Hugh Owens of Regina and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix were ordered to pay $1500 to three homosexual activists after Owens placed an ad in the Saskatoon [...]
It has long been acknowledged that the spiritual realm must play an important role in the effort to ultimately secure the right to life for all human beings, from conception to natural death. To that end, Catholics across Canada are participating in a concerted prayer effort to ensure that aspect of the pro-life struggle is not neglected. The One Million Rosaries for [...]