Archive for tag: Canada

Archive pour tag : Canada

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As the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches on February 24, Christian leaders of Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, and other faith traditions in Canada, together with the World Evangelical Alliance’s Peace & Reconciliation Network, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Canadian Council of Churches invite all Christians and people of goodwill to join in united prayer and action for peace.

This call to prayer and action—signed by 45 Canadian Church leaders—also acknowledges ongoing conflict elsewhere in the world:

“Without in any way minimizing or ignoring the suffering and sorrow caused by war and violence in other areas of the world, we stand together in inviting Christians and all people of goodwill to prayerfully consider how we are all called, and might contribute to, the achievement of peace in and for Ukraine.”
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Posted: Feb. 16, 2024 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=14069
Categories: News, Pastoral letter, ResourcesIn this article: Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, pastoral letters, peace, Ukraine
Transmis : 16 févr. 2024 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=14069
Catégorie : News, Pastoral letter, ResourcesDans cet article : Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, pastoral letters, peace, Ukraine

À l’approche du deuxième anniversaire de l’invasion à grande échelle de la Russie en Ukraine le 24 février, les chefs chrétiens des traditions orthodoxe, catholique, évangélique et d’autres confessions au Canada, en collaboration avec le Réseau de paix et de réconciliation de l’Alliance évangélique mondiale, l’Alliance évangélique du Canada et le Conseil canadien des Églises invitent toutes les chrétiens et les personnes de bonne volonté à se joindre à une prière et à une action unies pour la paix

Cet appel à la prière et à l’action—signé par 45 chefs d’églises canadiens—reconnaît également les conflits en cours ailleurs dans le monde :

« Sans minimiser ou ignorer de quelque manière que ce soit la souffrance et le chagrin causés par la guerre et la violence dans d’autres régions du monde, nous nous tenons ensemble pour inviter les chrétiens et toutes les personnes de bonne volonté à réfléchir avec prière à la manière dont nous sommes tous appelés, et pourraient contribuer à la réalisation de la paix en et pour l’Ukraine. »
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Posted: Feb. 16, 2024 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=14071
Categories: News, Pastoral letter, ResourcesIn this article: Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, pastoral letters, peace, Ukraine
Transmis : 16 févr. 2024 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=14071
Catégorie : News, Pastoral letter, ResourcesDans cet article : Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, pastoral letters, peace, Ukraine

The Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue in Canada (ARC) has met regularly since 1971. It works closely with the Anglican-Roman Catholic Bishops’ Dialogue (ARC-B), which was established in 1975. Supported by the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the mandate of both Dialogues is to advance ecumenical understanding and cooperation between the churches in our country. In recent years, the Anglican contingent on ARC has also added members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) as an expression of the deepening full communion relationship between the ACC and ELCIC.
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Posted: Oct. 18, 2023 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=13985
Categories: Communiqué, DialogueIn this article: Anglican Church of Canada, Canada, Catholic, CCCB, dialogue, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Transmis : 18 oct. 2023 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=13985
Catégorie : Communiqué, DialogueDans cet article : Anglican Church of Canada, Canada, Catholic, CCCB, dialogue, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

New forms of spirituality, revival of traditional Indigenous beliefs, rising immigration, and debates on secularism are blurring the line between religion and non-religion in Canada, scholar David Seljak says — part of what he calls a “permanent revolution” and the latest development in how religion has shaped the country’s social order.

Seljak, a professor of religious studies at St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo, shared his views as the opening speaker at “Land, Law, Religion and Reconciliation,” a colloquium hosted by the University of Victoria’s Centre for Studies in Religion and Society (CSRS) May 4-6. His livestreamed presentation was the latest of the John Albert Hall Lectures, a series hosted by the university in which notable speakers discuss the changing role of religion in modern society.
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Posted: May 15, 2023 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=13907
Categories: Anglican JournalIn this article: Canada, secularism
Transmis : 15 mai 2023 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=13907
Catégorie : Anglican JournalDans cet article : Canada, secularism

I was recently asked how we know if a dialogue is successful. Even in the church, there is a temptation to assess projects and ministries by worldly standards. How much did it cost? How many people attended? How many people watched the video? These practical concerns should be considered, but other questions might be more critical. Did the experience transform people? Did this deepen or strengthen relationships between people or between the churches? What were the fruits of this project? What is the Spirit saying to the churches?
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Posted: Mar. 31, 2023 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=13641
Categories: One Body, OpinionIn this article: Canada, CCCB, dialogue
Transmis : 31 mars 2023 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=13641
Catégorie : One Body, OpinionDans cet article : Canada, CCCB, dialogue

Four letters and 26 promises from Canada’s bishops to Indigenous Canadians set an agenda for reconciliation that bishops like Calgary’s Bishop Bill McGrattan intend to act on before February turns into March.

McGrattan has scheduled meetings with members of the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund committee in his diocese. The committee — there are similar committees in dioceses across Canada — makes recommendations for local Calgary projects that could be funded by the national $30 million reconciliation fund Canada’s bishops have set up. McGrattan has forwarded the letters to Inuit, First Nations and Metis committee members and hopes for their feedback.
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Posted: Feb. 10, 2023 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=13332
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: bishops, Canada, Catholic, CCCB, Indigenous peoples, Reconciliation
Transmis : 10 févr. 2023 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=13332
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : bishops, Canada, Catholic, CCCB, Indigenous peoples, Reconciliation

It will likely be months before refugee advocates, including the Canadian Council of Churches, know whether they have prevailed at the Supreme Court. But for now, council general secretary Rev. Peter Noteboom is satisfied that the argument to strike down the Safe Third Country Agreement between the United States and Canada has been heard.
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Posted: Oct. 13, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12597
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, refugees
Transmis : 13 oct. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12597
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, refugees

As Canada’s Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States goes back before the Supreme Court of Canada Oct. 6, Ottawa has revealed a surge of 23,358 asylum seekers at irregular border crossings in the first eight months of 2022.

That’s 13-per-cent more than all of 2017, when the flood of refugees at Quebec’s Roxham Road crossing from New York captured headlines.
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Posted: Oct. 9, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12622
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, migration, refugees, safe third-country agreement, Supreme Court
Transmis : 9 oct. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12622
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, migration, refugees, safe third-country agreement, Supreme Court

La crise climatique et la dégradation environnementale affectent des communautés partout sur la planète, mais certaines communautés le sont plus que d’autres.

Depuis des décennies, les industries polluantes et les sites d’enfouissement se sont retrouvés dans des communautés autochtones, noires, et autres communautés racisées au Canada, les laissant aux prises avec des taux anormalement élevés de cancers, de maladies respiratoires et d’autres problèmes de santé chroniques.
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Posted: Sept. 13, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12644
Categories: ResourcesIn this article: Canada, Canadian mining, corporate accountability, environmental racism, KAIROS
Transmis : 13 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12644
Catégorie : ResourcesDans cet article : Canada, Canadian mining, corporate accountability, environmental racism, KAIROS

The climate crisis and environmental degradation are taking their toll on communities worldwide. But some communities are impacted more than others.

For decades, polluting industries and landfill sites have ended up in Indigenous, Black, Brown and other racialized communities in Canada, burdening these communities with higher-than-normal rates of cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other chronic health problems.
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Posted: Sept. 13, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12641
Categories: ResourcesIn this article: Canada, Canadian mining, corporate accountability, environmental racism, KAIROS
Transmis : 13 sept. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12641
Catégorie : ResourcesDans cet article : Canada, Canadian mining, corporate accountability, environmental racism, KAIROS

When busloads of residential school survivors, elders, knowledge keepers and youth descend on Edmonton and Quebec City to be present as Pope Francis walks on his “penitential pilgrimage,” Cynthia Bunn will be among them. But she didn’t want to be.

The third-generation residential school survivor from Sagkeen First Nation had to be persuaded by St. Boniface Archbishop Albert LeGatt. A member of the parish council at St. Alexander Church, Bunn initially agreed only to co-ordinate Sagkeen’s contribution to the 56 survivors, knowledge keepers and their care-givers from seven First Nations going from St. Boniface to Edmonton. But the archbishop dropped in on Bunn to plead with her.

“But you’re the co-ordinator. I need you there,” Bunn recalled LeGatt saying. “So I reluctantly decided to go.”
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Posted: July 22, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12300
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation
Transmis : 22 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12300
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation

In the days between March 28 and April 1 of this year, a delegation of representatives of the Indigenous peoples of Canada traveled to Rome with some of their bishops for several meetings with Pope Francis. He promised to travel personally to Canada later this summer to continue the dialogue in their “Indigenous territories.”

During the concluding meeting, the pope said, “it is my hope that our meetings during these days will point out new paths to be pursued together, will instill courage and strength, and lead to greater commitment on the local level. Any truly effective process of healing requires concrete actions. In a fraternal spirit, I encourage the Bishops and the Catholic community to continue taking steps toward the transparent search for truth and to foster healing and reconciliation. These steps are part of a journey that can favor the rediscovery and revitalization of your culture, while helping the Church to grow in love, respect and specific attention to your authentic traditions. I wish to tell you that the Church stands beside you and wants to continue journeying with you. Dialogue is the key to knowledge and sharing, and the Bishops of Canada have clearly stated their commitment to continue advancing together with you on a renewed, constructive, fruitful path, where encounters and shared projects will be of great help.”[1]

In these pages we will attempt to briefly outline the context of the journey of truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada, in which the pope is intensely engaged, alongside the Canadian Church.
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Posted: July 19, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12255
Categories: News, OpinionIn this article: apologies, Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation
Transmis : 19 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12255
Catégorie : News, OpinionDans cet article : apologies, Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation

Asking for prayers ahead of his visit to Canada July 24-29, Pope Francis described the trip as a “penitential pilgrimage” as part of a commitment to healing and reconciliation with the country’s Indigenous people.

“Unfortunately, in Canada, many Christians, including some members of religious institutes, contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation that, in the past, have severely harmed native communities in various ways,” the pope said July 17, referring particularly to the involvement of dioceses and religious orders in running residential schools.

From the 1870s to the 1990s, the Canadian government, usually in partnership with Christian churches, operated a residential school system to which over 150,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit students were sent. Their language and customs were banned, and they often suffered malnourishment and physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
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Posted: July 18, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12266
Categories: CNSIn this article: Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation
Transmis : 18 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12266
Catégorie : CNSDans cet article : Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights is being blasted by anti-prostitution groups in Canada after releasing a report that concludes Canada’s current anti-prostitution law does more harm than good.

Although the justice committee report released June 22 stops short of calling for the 2014 law’s immediate repeal, it embraces the “sex-positive” and “harm-reduction” language of sex-industry activists who want to fully decriminalize prostitution. For example, the report describes prostituted persons as “sex workers” and terms prostitution an “industry.”

The committee’s report, titled Preventing Harm in the Canadian Sex Industry: A Review of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, capped its statutory review of the current anti-prostitution law enacted under the previous Conservative government.

The law frames prostitution as a form of violence against women and youth and criminalizes both those who purchase commercialized sexual services and those who profit from it. The law gives prostituted persons immunity from prosecution and encourages them to exit prostitution.
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Posted: July 7, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12023
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: Canada, human trafficking
Transmis : 7 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12023
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : Canada, human trafficking

The Vatican’s press office announced today that because of continuing problems with his knee, the Pope has postponed his planned African trip scheduled for July 2-7.

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Canada July 24-29. Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican Press Office, did not mention whether that trip is still set. Either way, plans are still being made for papal visit to Canada.

“At this time, we continue to move forward with our planning,” said Neil MacCarthy, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops communications lead on the papal trip.

Among the plans is ensuring plenty of rest for the Pope.

“Great care is being taken to provide significant periods of rest for the Holy Father,” he said. “And also to ensure his participation at events is for a limited period of time.”

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Posted: June 10, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11741
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: Canada, Pope Francis
Transmis : 10 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11741
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : Canada, Pope Francis

Evidence is mounting that assisted suicide’s introduction into the Canadian medical system is not only undermining governments’ oft-stated plans to improve palliative care but is actively damaging the country’s already inadequate palliative care system. Some patients are choosing to die rather than to continue to live without adequate palliative care.

Dr. Neil Hilliard, a palliative care expert from Abbotsford, British Columbia, said health facilities’ introduction of assisted suicide into palliative care wards and hospices, following legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in June 2016, has led to a reduction in true palliative cares services.

“It’s like a cancer growing within the palliative care programs,” said Hilliard who, in 2017, resigned as medical director of the Fraser Health Authority’s palliative care program because of his opposition to the authority’s insistence that he support the performing of assisted suicide in hospices.

“(MAiD) is starting to take over to a certain degree. But still only 5% of people are choosing MAiD; 95% would prefer to live well until they die naturally.”
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Posted: May 21, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11262
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, euthanasia, palliative care, physician assisted suicide
Transmis : 21 mai 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11262
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, euthanasia, palliative care, physician assisted suicide

The Canadian Council of Churches, Amnesty International and the Canadian Council for Refugees are headed to the Supreme Court of Canada on behalf of refugee families who want a legal way to apply for asylum at Canada’s land borders. After twice winning in Federal Court only to see those decisions reversed in the Federal Court of Appeal, this is the first time the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments about the constitutional validity of Canada’s Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) with the United States. Under the agreement, persons seeking refugee status must make their claim in the first country in which they arrive. It has been in place since 2004. A definitive ruling is necessary to clarify a system that forces would-be refugees to cross into Canada illegally at unofficial border crossings like Roxham Road south of Montreal at the Quebec-New York border, said Detroit Mercy University law professor Alex Vernon.

“Most refugees’ first experience of Canada is either to be summarily denied protection and excluded if they go to a (legal) port of entry without an exception to the STCA or to be forced to be ‘law breakers’ and arrested and processed upon entry at Roxham Road,” said Vernon, who runs Detroit Mercy’s immigration law clinic and regularly takes students to Roxham Road for real life experience of practising law on the border. “This is not in keeping with Canada’s international obligations, with constitutional rights of people on Canadian soil, nor with the dignity due to human beings — particularly human beings in distress.” The latest court loss for the refugee advocates at the CCC, AI and CCR came in April. The appeal court’s decision was based “not on substantive grounds, but on the basis of how the arguments were framed,” said a press release from the Canadian Council for Refugees.
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Posted: Dec. 17, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10927
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, refugees
Transmis : 17 déc. 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10927
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : Canada, Canadian Council of Churches, refugees

On November 16, 2021, the Canadian Anglican–Roman Catholic Dialogue (ARC–Canada) marks its 50th anniversary. In an increasingly divided world where relationships are more often defined by conflict than cooperation, this is indeed an occasion to celebrate! An ongoing dialogue where words are used not to dominate or control but to seek understanding is a critical counter-cultural witness in today’s world. In addition to celebration, a 50th anniversary is an invitation to reflect on the past and to consider what may be learned for the future.
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Posted: Oct. 26, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=13607
Categories: One Body, OpinionIn this article: Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue
Transmis : 26 oct. 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=13607
Catégorie : One Body, OpinionDans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue

Black Anglicans of Canada deplores the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police.

For me, as an African American, the brutal murder of George Floyd is the last straw. People of African descent, for our entire 400-year history in America, have been put in the position of constantly having to defend our humanity, forced into a subculture of “over-achievement” so that we can be acknowledged as human beings and entitled to be equal citizens in our own country that we have helped build, died for and continue to defend. We are tired. We are angry. We are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
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Posted: June 19, 2020 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=13258
Categories: ENSIn this article: Anglican, Black, Canada, racism
Transmis : 19 juin 2020 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=13258
Catégorie : ENSDans cet article : Anglican, Black, Canada, racism

A statement calling on the government of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to “immediately cease their occupation, arrests, and trespassing on Wet’suwet’en sovereign territory” has drawn signatures from 71 church leaders in in the Anglican Church of Canada and beyond.

The statement of solidarity with Wet’suwet’en Nation pipeline opposition was released by Toronto Urban Native Ministry in the diocese of Toronto. Posted Feb. 6, it was signed by several Anglican bishops, including National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop Mark MacDonald and National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Susan Johnson. Many more signatures have since been added via the web.

The statement notes the unanimous opposition of the Wet’suwet’en Clan Chiefs to the construction of the pipeline. It says that the “militarized forced removal of the Wet’suwet’an from their own territory” is in violation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and is “consistent with the colonial practices of genocide,” and that the RCMP “does not hold the jurisdiction or right to arrest sovereign Wet’suwet’en peoples on their own unceded Nation and territory.”
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Posted: Feb. 18, 2020 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10715
Categories: Anglican JournalIn this article: Canada, Indigenous peoples, Reconciliation
Transmis : 18 févr. 2020 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10715
Catégorie : Anglican JournalDans cet article : Canada, Indigenous peoples, Reconciliation

Catholic bishops in British Columbia and Yukon have endorsed medical marijuana use, but condemned recreational pot smoking as contrary to the teachings of the church.

In a letter posted online in late November, the bishops — six from B.C. and one from Whitehorse — warn that “the mere fact that an activity is made legal by the government does not automatically mean that it is morally acceptable.” Recreational cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17, one of the signature accomplishments of Justin Trudeau’s government.

But the letter from all six B.C. bishops and the one Yukon bishop distinguishes between therapeutic uses, such as controlling for pain and nausea, and toking for fun. In the former, the letter states, impairment “can be accepted as a foreseen but unintended secondary effect of the drug’s beneficial use.” Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada for nearly two decades.
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Posted: Dec. 5, 2018 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10318
Categories: NewsIn this article: bishops, Canada, cannabis, Catholic
Transmis : 5 déc. 2018 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10318
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : bishops, Canada, cannabis, Catholic

Over 60 faith leaders and organizations in Canada have signed a letter addressed to The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, concerning the removal of section 176 from the Criminal Code of Canada, as proposed under Clause 14 of Bill C-51, “An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act and to Make Consequential Amendments to Another Act”. The interfaith letter was co-authored by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Association for Reformed Political Action. Representatives from a variety of faith traditions have endorsed the letter, including from the Sikh, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Buddhist traditions.

The Conference also intervened on 30 October 2017 concerning Clause 14 of Bill C-51, which included a written submission to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, followed by oral presentations before the Standing Committee by the Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and President of the CCCB and His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, with the assistance of Mr. Bruce F. Simpson, a partner specialized in criminal law with Barnes Sammon LLP.
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Posted: Nov. 7, 2017 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9803
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, criminal justice, interfaith, religious freedom
Transmis : 7 nov. 2017 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9803
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, criminal justice, interfaith, religious freedom

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Canada reaffirmed that government actors have a duty to specifically consider religious freedom concerns when raised by claimants in its Ktunaxa Nation v. British Columbia decision. This historic case – the first Indigenous religious freedom claim to be heard by the Supreme Court – raised questions about the scope of religious freedom, and the means by which religious communities can practise and manifest their faith. Christian Legal Fellowship (CLF) and The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) jointly intervened in the case.

The litigation arose from a proposed ski resort on land that is sacred to the Ktunaxa people. The Ktunaxa Nation opposed the development on the basis that it would desecrate the sacred site and would interfere with a variety of their spiritual practices.

The British Columbia Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources approved the development but did not specifically address how the decision would impact the Ktunaxa Nation’s section 2(a) Charter right to freedom of religion.

The Supreme Court upheld the Minister’s ultimate decision; however, the Court was divided 7-2 on some of their underlying reasons.
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Posted: Nov. 3, 2017 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9777
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, Indigenous peoples, religious freedom, Supreme Court
Transmis : 3 nov. 2017 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9777
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, Indigenous peoples, religious freedom, Supreme Court

One of Canada’s most influential and controversial theologians, among the few remaining living links to the Second Vatican Council, has died.

Gregory Baum, author of the first draft of Nostra Aetate, was 94 years old.

Baum was admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal Oct. 8. “I’m disappearing inside,” he told a friend. He decided not to continue the dialysis treatment which had kept him alive the last four years.

As a young theologian, Baum shot to prominence in the early days of the Second Vatican Council, mentored by Cardinal Augustin Bea. A key ally of Pope St. John XXIII, Bea looked for credible Catholic experts on Catholic-Jewish relations and found his man in Baum.
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Posted: Oct. 19, 2017 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9773
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, Gregory Baum, Jewish-Christian relations, Québec, theologian
Transmis : 19 oct. 2017 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9773
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, Gregory Baum, Jewish-Christian relations, Québec, theologian

The bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories have issued pastoral guidelines for clergy dealing with Catholics who are considering euthanasia or assisted suicide, which is now legal in Canada.

The 32-page document, written for priests and parishes, gives guidance on when people in such situations are eligible to receive certain sacraments or a Catholic funeral. It includes references to canon law and pastoral guidance for special circumstances.

The document specifically addresses the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick.

“In our day a priest may encounter a penitent who has officially requested physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia,” the document says. “The penitent has not yet been killed, nor has he/she committed suicide, but he or she has initiated the process, which is already a grave matter.

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Posted: Sept. 20, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9568
Categories: CNSIn this article: Alberta, Canada, Catholic, euthanasia, pastoral care, physician assisted suicide
Transmis : 20 sept. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9568
Catégorie : CNSDans cet article : Alberta, Canada, Catholic, euthanasia, pastoral care, physician assisted suicide

Today, representatives from various faith communities united to issue a joint call to Canada’s elected officials to support a robust, well-resourced, national palliative care strategy and to raise awareness of inadequacies in palliative care, particularly in the wake of the debate over Physician-Assisted Dying/Suicide.

In addition to issuing an Interfaith Statement on Palliative Care, the organizations reaffirmed that compassion is a foundational element of Canadian identity that should directly shape Canadian public policy when it comes to end-of-life issues. The spokespersons warned that assisted dying/suicide must not become a default choice for those struggling with terminal illnesses, and that it is a national imperative to enhance access to and the quality of palliative care.
“The need for quality, widely accessible palliative care should be one of the most pressing concerns of our country,” said the Most Reverend Noël Simard, Bishop of Valleyfield, on behalf of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Faith communities, along with health care workers, have for centuries stood by the bedsides of the dying to comfort and protect, to heal and console. Today, as faith leaders, we recommit ourselves to this sacred task of providing the spiritual care so essential to palliative care.”
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Posted: June 14, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9600
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, euthanasia, interfaith, palliative care
Transmis : 14 juin 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9600
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, euthanasia, interfaith, palliative care

One of the most important and troubled projects from the Second Vatican Council arrives in Toronto May 11 for some serious, scholarly, and saintly talk.

The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, better known as ARCIC, rolls into town to puzzle over how Catholics and Anglicans make decisions over ethical questions and to find new ways to sum up its work over the last five decades.

ARCIC is the official ecumenical dialogue between the world’s 85 million Anglicans and 1.3 billion Catholics set up by the Vatican and the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1969.

This is the first time ARCIC has met in Canada, and it gives Canada’s own Anglican-Catholic dialogue partners a chance to rub shoulders with their international counterparts.
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Posted: Apr. 29, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9055
Categories: Catholic Register, DialogueIn this article: Anglican, ARCIC, Canada, Catholic, dialogue
Transmis : 29 avril 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9055
Catégorie : Catholic Register, DialogueDans cet article : Anglican, ARCIC, Canada, Catholic, dialogue

Canadian church leaders issued a joint statement endorsing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and promising to implement its principles. Doreen Spence, an aboriginal Canadian who was one of the architects of the declaration, welcomes the move.

“Endorsement is a big step forward. I really commend them,” Spence says. “It has taken them a long time.”

Spence served as presiding elder to the core group of indigenous people who met in Geneva over a 20-year period to craft the declaration and guide it through the lengthy process that led to its adoption by the UN General Assembly in 2007. The World Council of Churches (WCC) supported the working group by offering meeting space at the Ecumenical Centre.

The Canadian churches’ statement, signed by seven church leaders, says they commit to implementing the principles, norms, and standards named in the UN declaration and “embrace the opportunity … to work for reconciliation and to fully respect the human rights and dignity of indigenous peoples in Canada.”

Canadian church leaders issued their endorsement on 30 March in response to a call-to-action by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission into abuse of aboriginal students in church-run residential schools. In its report released in June 2015, the TRC called on churches, faith groups, and social justice groups in Canada to “formally adopt and comply with” the principles and standards of UNDRIP as a framework for reconciliation between the country’s aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples.

Leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada, Christian Reformed Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Presbyterian Church in Canada, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Salvation Army, and United Church of Canada issued the statement in Ottawa, the country’s capital city. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Holy Cross Fathers also issued statements, as did several ecumenical and interfaith groups.
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Posted: Apr. 19, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9137
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Canada, church, declarations, Indigenous peoples, United Nations
Transmis : 19 avril 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9137
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Canada, church, declarations, Indigenous peoples, United Nations

Following its last meeting in Toronto on February 6, 2016, the Hindu–Catholic Dialogue of Canada released a joint statement to reaffirm the importance of hospitality in receiving the stranger and welcoming refugee. “Hospitality is among the most sacred values in many religious traditions, including Hinduism and Christianity,” stated the members of the dialogue. The statement concluded with an appeal to all peoples in Canada “to offer our prayers to those reeling in response to war, terror, and hate…” and urging “all Canadians to respond with openness, care and generosity to those refugees who find their ways to our shores, and indeed to all strangers in our midst. Dialogue and encounter are among our most important resources for meeting the demands of the present refugee crisis.”

The theme of the last meeting of the Hindu-Catholic Dialogue was on the Theology of Incarnation in both Catholic and Hindu traditions. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has eight appointees on this national dialogue, with the Most Reverend Daniel Miehm, Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton, serving as the Catholic Co-Chair. Dr. Tinu Ruparell, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, is the Hindu Co-Chair. The Hindu-Catholic Dialogue meets twice annually and is scheduled to meet again in August 2016.
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Posted: Mar. 31, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9047
Categories: Communiqué, DialogueIn this article: Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith
Transmis : 31 mars 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9047
Catégorie : Communiqué, DialogueDans cet article : Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith

À la suite de sa dernière réunion, le 6 février 2016 à Toronto, le Dialogue hindou-catholique du Canada a publié une déclaration commune pour réaffirmer l’importance de l’hospitalité pour accueillir l’étranger et bien recevoir le réfugié. « L’hospitalité est une valeur des plus sacrées dans plusieurs traditions religieuses, dont l’hindouisme et le christianisme », ont affirmé les membres du dialogue. La déclaration concluait par un appel à toute la population du Canada afin d’offrir « des prières pour ceux et celles qui souffrent des conséquences de la guerre, de la terreur et de la haine… » et par une interpellation à « toutes les Canadiennes et tous les Canadiens à faire preuve d’ouverture d’esprit, de sollicitude et de générosité à l’endroit des réfugiés qui arrivent chez nous, de même qu’à l’égard de tous les étrangers parmi nous. Le dialogue et la rencontre sont les ressources les plus importantes dont nous disposions pour répondre aux exigences de la crise actuelle des réfugiés. »

Le thème de la dernière réunion du Dialogue hindou-catholique portait sur la théologie de l’incarnation pour les traditions catholique et hindoue. Huit délégués de la Conférence des évêques catholiques du Canada (CECC) participent à ce dialogue national, dont le coprésident catholique, Mgr Daniel Miehm, évêque auxiliaire à Hamilton. M. Tinu Ruparell, Ph.D., professeur d’études religieuses à l’Université de Calgary, est le coprésident hindou. Le dialogue catholique-hindou se réunit deux fois par année, et sa prochaine réunion est prévue pour août 2016.
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Posted: Mar. 31, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9049
Categories: Communiqué, DialogueIn this article: Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith
Transmis : 31 mars 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9049
Catégorie : Communiqué, DialogueDans cet article : Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith

A new Master of Divinity program at Trinity College is helping to prepare students for ordained or lay ministry in the Orthodox Church.

The post-graduate degree – the only one of its kind in Canada – is often a requirement for those seeking ordination in the Orthodox Church. Previously, students who wanted the degree had to travel to seminaries in the United States, usually a prohibitively expensive undertaking.

“It was really quite a barrier, so the opportunity we’ve been given here at Trinity College is amazing,” says the Rev. Fr. Geoffrey Ready, an Orthodox priest and director of the program. “It’s a great benefit to the Orthodox Church across Canada.”

Trinity College’s faculty of divinity has been offering courses in Orthodox Christianity for the past 10 years and the new degree, established last year, is an extension of that, says Fr. Ready. “We decided to take it to the next level,” he says.

Three students were enrolled in the program in its first year and Fr. Ready is hoping for up to 12 when the next school year begins in September. The degree includes courses in Biblical studies from an Orthodox perspective, liturgics and pastoral ministry.

The Rev. Canon David Neelands, dean of divinity, says the enhanced Orthodox curriculum and the new students it will attract will benefit the college. “I think it’s a great development,” he says. “It will benefit us and a new population.”
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Posted: Jan. 4, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8921
Categories: NewsIn this article: Anglican, Canada, Orthodox, theological education
Transmis : 4 janv. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8921
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Orthodox, theological education

Today, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus (CRC) convened the first national, bilateral dialogue between Catholics and Jews in Canada.

The organizations launched this initiative as part of a joint celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Declaration issued by the Second Vatican Council which rejected antisemitism and underscored the importance of the Jewish roots of Christianity. The first dialogue session involved a combination of clergy and scholars, with six-person delegations from each faith community. Themes addressed included the substantial role of Nostra Aetate in transforming Catholic perceptions of the Jewish community, the deep significance of the State of Israel to the Jewish people, and the importance of acknowledging painful history while embracing mutual respect and working together to build a common future.
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Posted: Nov. 25, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8908
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, Canadian Rabbinic Caucus, Catholic, CCCB, Jewish-Christian relations, Judaism
Transmis : 25 nov. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8908
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, Canadian Rabbinic Caucus, Catholic, CCCB, Jewish-Christian relations, Judaism

In 1975, five major Christian churches in Canada reached an agreement recognizing the validity of each other’s baptisms. Forty years later, the mutual recognition of baptism by the Presbyterian, Lutheran, United, Roman Catholic and Anglican (PLURA) churches stands as a historic milestone in the ongoing ecumenical movement.

A news release from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) on September 11, 1975 noted that the agreement followed an ecumenical study of baptism by the Joint Working Group of the Canadian Council of Churches and the CCCB. Responding to the report, each church agreed that “baptism would be recognized when conferred according to the norms of the churches, with flowing water, by pouring, sprinkling or immersion, accompanied by the Trinitarian formula [i.e. in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit].”

Archdeacon Bruce Myers, ecumenical and interfaith coordinator for the Anglican Church of Canada, underscored the role of mutual recognition of baptism in bringing members of different churches closer together.

“When each of us is baptized, it’s always into a particular church, a local community of faith that exists within a denomination,” Myers said. “But also you’re being baptized into the one holy catholic and apostolic church that is universal.”
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Posted: Nov. 19, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8854
Categories: NewsIn this article: baptism, Canada, Christian unity, ecumenism
Transmis : 19 nov. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8854
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : baptism, Canada, Christian unity, ecumenism

At a news conference today on Parliament Hill, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) released a joint statement on euthanasia and assisted suicide. The Declaration on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide has been endorsed by over 30 Christian denominations together with over 20 Jewish and Muslim leaders from across Canada. In light of the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling in R. v. Carter, the joint statement advocates for palliative care, respect for the dignity of the human person, human solidarity and psychological, spiritual and emotional support as the ethical and moral response in end-of-life care. The declaration states that “The recent Supreme Court of Canada decision has brought this issue to the forefront of public discussion and compels each of us as Canadians to reflect upon our personal and societal response to those who need our compassion and care.” Addressing the underlying importance of human dignity, the signatories affirm that “the sanctity of all human life, and the equal and inviolable dignity of every human being … is not exclusively a religious belief, although for us it has a significant religious meaning.” The signatories emphasize that “reverence for human life must be “the basis and reason for our compassion, responsibility and commitment in caring for all humans, our brothers and sisters, when they are suffering and in pain… to work to alleviate human suffering in every form but never by intentionally eliminating those who suffer.”
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Posted: Oct. 29, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8821
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, Christian, euthanasia, Jewish, Muslim, physician assisted suicide
Transmis : 29 oct. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8821
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, Christian, euthanasia, Jewish, Muslim, physician assisted suicide

What do indigenous peoples expect of churches in light of the report of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on church-run residential schools for aboriginal children? Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, responds in this interview with the World Council of Churches (WCC) Communications.

The TRC report on the impact of more than 100 years of residential schools includes 94 recommendations addressed to the country’s federal and provincial governments, churches and society at large. A number are related to concerns for child welfare, education, and health in indigenous communities.

Canada’s best-known aboriginal leader Perry Bellegarde is urging the country’s churches to take advantage of the current federal election campaign to press for measures to close the gap in the standard of living between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

“The gap is not good for the country. There is a high social cost,” says Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the advocacy organization representing Canada’s 900,000 aboriginal people.

Bellegarde is urging church members to ask candidates about their plans for improving schooling, health care, and housing in Indigenous communities.
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Posted: Oct. 8, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8800
Categories: WCC NewsIn this article: Canada, Indigenous peoples, Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Transmis : 8 oct. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8800
Catégorie : WCC NewsDans cet article : Canada, Indigenous peoples, Truth and Reconciliation Commission

In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, The United Church of Canada has asked for clear reassurance that the government does not intend to limit the democratic rights and freedoms of individuals and organizations opposed to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

The church’s letter was prompted by a recent CBC news story that cited the possibility of the government using hate crime laws to clamp down on activities they consider to be singling out Israel for criticism.

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Posted: May 13, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8315
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, divestment, Israel, Palestine, United Church of Canada
Transmis : 13 mai 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8315
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, divestment, Israel, Palestine, United Church of Canada

On the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for two new Canadian saints: St. François de Laval and St. Marie de l’Incarnation. The two were made saints in April when Pope Francis set aside the normal process. The two were significant in spreading Catholicism in New France, both among the French settlers and the indigenous peoples. Laval (1623-1708) was the first bishop of Québec. Marie de l’Incarnation (1599-1672), an Ursuline sister, was responsible for establishing the first schools in the fledgling colony at Québec and for extending education to girls and natives. Pope Francis has described the new saints as models of spreading the faith. “Missionaries have gone out to call everyone, in the highways and byways of the world,” Francis said in his homily. “In this way they have done immense good for the Church, for once the Church stops moving, once she becomes closed in on herself, she falls ill, she can be corrupted, whether by sins or by that false knowledge cut off from God which is worldly secularism.”
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Posted: Oct. 14, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7857
Categories: NewsIn this article: Anglican, Canada, Catholic, ecumenism, Pope Francis, saints
Transmis : 14 oct. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7857
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Catholic, ecumenism, Pope Francis, saints

The centenary celebration Sept. 24 of what is now known as the Montreal School of Theology will probably pass almost unnoticed, at a time when religion is often a topic of strife. But in its quiet way, the anniversary is also a reminder that religious strife and debate in Montreal, Quebec and the rest of Canada have been around for a while. The three theological seminaries on the McGill University campus — Presbyterian, United Church and Anglican — will be celebrating 100 years of what is now known as ecumenism, a word hardly anyone used in that sense a century ago. The celebration will be a modest affair. Presbyterian College, the (United Church) United Theological College and the (Anglican) Montreal Diocesan Theological College will have open house at their respective quarters on University St. between 3:15 and 4:15 p.m. And there will be worship at 4:30 down the street in the Heritage Chapel of what was known until 1972 as Divinity Hall, but is now McGill’s Birks Building. On Friday, a select group will ponder the future of theological education in Montreal.
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Posted: Sept. 23, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7850
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, ecumenism, Montréal, theological education
Transmis : 23 sept. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7850
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, ecumenism, Montréal, theological education

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), formed in 2008 to help begin healing over Canada’s residential school system for Indigenous peoples, will be holding its final public event at the end of March in Edmonton.

Similar to past events, this one will feature traditional ceremonies, survivor gatherings and statements, an education day, and more.

Although the mandate of the TRC has been extended through 2015, this final public event signals the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one for those who have been involved.

National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald is already looking to the future.

“It has become more and more clear as we’ve gone on that this is a beginning, and not an end. This is the beginning of reconciliation. I don’t think that after we finish this, anybody will say ‘Well, we did that!'”

“I think the next steps on the path are the building of the positive relationships between non-Indigenous people and institutions, and Indigenous people. It’s all about building on the bedrock of reconciliation.”
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Posted: Jan. 31, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7259
Categories: NewsIn this article: Anglican, Canada, Indigenous peoples, Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Transmis : 31 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7259
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Indigenous peoples, Truth and Reconciliation Commission

KAIROS, the Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiative, is celebrating a 40th anniversary. KAIROS itself isn’t that old, but its predecessor groups, the Canadian ecumenical coalitions are. Those of us engaged in ecumenical work, whether in theological dialogues, ecumenical education, or collaborating in advocacy for social justice are rooted in the same call to witness to Christ and to engage in common mission. We give thanks for the work of the Canadian social justice coalitions and for KAIROS that continues to give witness to this legacy. Congratulations KAIROS on 40 years of witness!

The executive director of KAIROS, Jennifer Henry, gave a long sermon January 19th at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Etobicoke. She reflects on ‘40 Years of Bold Witness’ framing her thoughts with four characteristics of the “natural habitat’ of prophetic voices” outlined by Walter Brueggemann in “The Prophetic Imagination.” It is well worth a read for Jennifer’s strong knowledge of history and inspirational passion for justice.
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Posted: Jan. 27, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7344
Categories: OpinionIn this article: Canada, KAIROS
Transmis : 27 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7344
Catégorie : OpinionDans cet article : Canada, KAIROS

Among the many factors that influence Canadian religious experience is the sheer size of our country. Canada is the second largest country in the world, 40% of which is in the Arctic, north of 60o latitude. Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the United States to the North Pole, Canada has ten provinces and three territories. We are surrounded by three oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic. Our only land border is with the United States and it has experienced almost 200 years of peace. Canada is a confederation of former British colonies, with a parliamentary form of government in a federal system of ten provinces and three territories. The union of the former colonial territories and independence from Britain occurred peacefully, and Canada remains a strong proponent of international engagement and cooperation. The vast distances between our cities have promoted both self-reliance and formation of distinct identities in the regions, but can also engender feelings of alienation or resentment.

Canada is known for its natural splendour: its mountains, forests, lakes and rivers, seas of wheat and three ocean shorelines. This is a land rich in agriculture and natural resources. Canada is also a land of diverse peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis,2 and many people who came to settle here from around the world. We have two official languages, French and English, yet many Canadians also celebrate the cultural and linguistic heritages of their ancestral homelands.
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Posted: Jan. 13, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7065
Categories: ResourcesIn this article: Canada, Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU
Transmis : 13 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7065
Catégorie : ResourcesDans cet article : Canada, Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU

Canadians live in a country that is marked by diversity in language, culture, and even climate, and we also embody diversity in our expressions of Christian faith. Living with this diversity, but being faithful to Christ’s desire for the unity of his disciples, has led us to a reflection on Paul’s provocative question in 1 Corinthians: “Has Christ been Divided?” In faith we respond, “No!” yet our church communities continue to embody scandalous divisions. 1 Corinthians also points us to a way in which we can value and receive the gifts of others even now in the midst of our divisions, and that is an encouragement to us in our work for unity.

2. Canada is known for its natural splendour: its mountains, forests, lakes and rivers, seas of wheat and three ocean shorelines. Our land stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the U.S. border to the north pole. This is a land rich in agriculture and natural resources. Canada is also a land of diverse peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis,1 and many people who came to settle here from around the world. We have two official languages, French and English, yet many Canadians celebrate the cultural and linguistic heritage from their ancestral homelands. Our social and political divisions frequently hinge upon linguistic, cultural, and regional distinctions, yet we are learning to understand how these national identities contribute to a healthy Canadian diversity. Within this multicultural milieu, many Christians have brought their particular ways of worship and ministry. Paul’s letter addresses us within our diversity and invites us to recognize that as church in our particular places we are not to be isolated or to act over against each other, but rather to recognize our interconnectedness with all who call on the name of the Lord.
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Posted: Jan. 8, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7051
Categories: ResourcesIn this article: Canada, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU
Transmis : 8 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7051
Catégorie : ResourcesDans cet article : Canada, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU

The world will pray with Canada this January, and in a special way with native Canadians. For the second time in the 106-year history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Canadians have written the biblical reflections, prayer services and educational materials to be used worldwide.

Celebrated Jan. 18-25, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is prepared each year in a different country under the direction of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome and the Geneva-based World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission. Since the two major ecumenical organizations took over the annual event in 1968, Canada is just the second country to be asked twice to prepare the worship and study material.

Coming back to Canada, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity wanted to make sure the material is fresh and reflects a different perspective. In 1989 Canada’s offering was prepared by the Canadian Council of Churches. This time, preparations were led by the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism in Montreal and the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism in Saskatoon.

Having Canada’s independent ecumenical centres take over was the initiative of Saskatoon Bishop Donald Bolen, who for years worked on the Week of Prayer as an official for the Pontifical Council in Rome. Though the CCC did not lead the 2014 effort, general secretary Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton played an important role helping to review the material, said Nicholas Jesson, ecumenical officer for the diocese of Saskatoon and part of the 2014 writing committee.
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Posted: Jan. 2, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7054
Categories: Catholic Register, ResourcesIn this article: Canada, Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU
Transmis : 2 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7054
Catégorie : Catholic Register, ResourcesDans cet article : Canada, Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU

Former Anglicans who convert to Catholicism must be a bridge to Christian unity and a force for true ecumenism, said the leader of North America’s Anglican ordinariate as four former Anglican priests were ordained to the Catholic priesthood.

“If the Ordinariate is to be anything worthy and worth keeping for the long term, it must be an instrument of Christian unity,” said Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, head of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter (POCSP).

In a Dec. 14 ceremony in Ottawa’s Notre Dame Cathedral, Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast ordained Bryan Kipling Cooper, Douglas Hayman, both of Ottawa, John Hodgins of Toronto and James Tilley of Oshawa, Ont., to serve as priests in the Ordinariate.
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Posted: Dec. 19, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7000
Categories: NewsIn this article: Anglican, Canada, Catholic, ordinariate
Transmis : 19 déc. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7000
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Catholic, ordinariate

The world will pray with Canada this January, and in a special way with native Canadians. For the second time in the 106-year history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Canadians have written the biblical reflections, prayer services and educational materials to be used worldwide.

Celebrated Jan. 18-25, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is prepared each year in a different country under the direction of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome and the Geneva-based World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission. Since the two major ecumenical organizations took over the annual event in 1968, Canada is just the second country to be asked twice to prepare the worship and study material.

Coming back to Canada, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity wanted to make sure the material is fresh and reflects a different perspective. In 1989 Canada’s offering was prepared by the Canadian Council of Churches. This time, preparations were led by the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism in Montreal and the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism in Saskatoon.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: July 28, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6800
Categories: Catholic RegisterIn this article: Canada, Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, WPCU
Transmis : 28 juil. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6800
Catégorie : Catholic RegisterDans cet article : Canada, Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme, Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, WPCU

The General Secretary of the United Church of Canada, Nora Sanders, has issued a message to the church’s General Council to announce that the General Synod of the United Church of Christ (USA) has accepted the United Church of Canada as an ecumenical partner. The announcement, issued 11 July, follows.
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Posted: July 11, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6487
Categories: NewsIn this article: Canada, Christian unity, ecumenism, full communion, united & uniting churches, United Church of Canada, United Church of Christ, USA
Transmis : 11 juil. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6487
Catégorie : NewsDans cet article : Canada, Christian unity, ecumenism, full communion, united & uniting churches, United Church of Canada, United Church of Christ, USA

Inspirés par l’exhortation de l’apôtre Pierre à défendre« l’espérance qui esten vous » (1 Pierre 3,15), les membres du Dialogue anglican et catholique romain du Canada (ARC du Canada) travaillent sur un projet visant à unir leurs voix pour rendre compte de cette foi.

En utilisant comme point de départ certaines des questions fondamentales qui préoccupent encore aujourd’hui pratiquants autant que non-pratiquants, les membres de l’ARC du Canada rédigeront divers articles, concis et intelligibles, offrant des réponses basées sur la tradition chrétienne commune partagée par les catholiques et les anglicans.

Parmi les questions qui seront abordées par le projet de Témoignage Commun on peut retrouver: Pourquoi croire? Pourquoi le monde est-il comme il est? Quelle est ma mission dans la vie? La science et la foi sont-elles compatibles? À quoi sert l’église? Est-ce souffrir sert à quelque chose? Est-ce tout ira bien?
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Posted: May 26, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=4611
Categories: Communiqué, NewsIn this article: Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, witness
Transmis : 26 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=4611
Catégorie : Communiqué, NewsDans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, witness

Inspired by the apostle Peter’s exhortation to offer “an account of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15), members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada (ARC Canada) are working on a project aimed at giving such an account with one voice.

Using as their starting point some of the fundamental questions that continue to be asked by people inside and outside the church, members of ARC Canada are composing short, accessible pieces of writing that offer responses rooted in the common Christian tradition shared by Catholics and Anglicans.

Among the questions being addressed by the Common Witness Project are: Why believe? Why is the world the way it is? What is my mission in life? Are science and faith compatible? What good is the church? Is suffering good for anything? Will it be okay?
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Posted: May 23, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=4594
Categories: Communiqué, NewsIn this article: Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, witness
Transmis : 23 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=4594
Catégorie : Communiqué, NewsDans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, witness

A new Canadian bishops’ document summarizing themes of recent church teaching on the environment is an urgent cry for action, says Bishop Donald Bolen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. “Recent church teaching and papal statements are clearly telling us that the way we are living is not sustainable,” said Bolen, one of the bishops on the Canadian bishops’ Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, which released the new resource April 8 entitled “Building a New Culture: Central Themes in Recent Church Teaching on the Environment.” “Care of the environment is a growing area of concern for the Church and for all human beings, and in fact the Church has been speaking about this – and in particular, recent popes have been speaking about this – not only with regularity, but with passion,” said Bolen.
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Posted: Apr. 8, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=3590
Categories: News, ResourcesIn this article: bishops, Canada, CCCB, creation, ecology, environment, theology
Transmis : 8 avril 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=3590
Catégorie : News, ResourcesDans cet article : bishops, Canada, CCCB, creation, ecology, environment, theology

The meeting of the Roman Catholic-United Church of Canada dialogue group which I attended in October reaffirmed the report on marriage that was submitted to our sponsoring bodies last spring. I have had the pleasure to be a part of this dialogue for the last 5 years as we discussed the often personal topic of marriage and our churches’ policies regarding marriage. What could have been a very confrontational discussion ended up being a wonderful celebration of the ideals of the institution as well as the rites involved in a wedding. Indeed, our two churches have much in common around marriage.
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Posted: Feb. 8, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=2902
Categories: CommuniquéIn this article: Canada, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, UCC, United Church of Canada
Transmis : 8 févr. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=2902
Catégorie : CommuniquéDans cet article : Canada, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, UCC, United Church of Canada

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