Pope asks bishops to lobby our MPs

Ontario prelates given message by Benedict at audience in Rome. Canada `has had to endure the folly of redefinition of spouse'

Sep. 9, 2006. 01:00 AM
STUART LAIDLAW
FAITH AND ETHICS REPORTER

Pope Benedict XVI yesterday lectured Ontario bishops on a pilgrimage to Rome about gay marriage and abortion laws in this country, lamenting "the exclusion of God from the public sphere" and calling on the bishops to use their influence on Catholic politicians.

"In the name of tolerance, your country has had to endure the folly of the redefinition of spouse and, in the name of `freedom of choice,' it is confronted with the daily destruction of unborn children," he said.

The Pope said Canada's "well-earned reputation for a generous and practical commitment to justice and peace" has led to a "false dichotomy" in which rights have been extended too far.
"Catholic involvement in political life cannot compromise on this principle," he told the bishops before leaving on a trip to his native Germany.

" (In) your discussions with politicians and civic leaders I encourage you to demonstrate that our Christian faith, far from being an impediment to dialogue, is a bridge."

Bishop Richard Smith, who is leading the bishops on their visit to Rome, last month delivered a similar message, saying "a terrible mistake was made" last year when the Canadian government changed the definition of marriage to include homosexual relationships.

Smith told a gathering of the Catholic Women's League that a planned fall vote on whether to scrap that law presents "a rare second chance" to revisit the issue. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The Pope's intervention could add fuel to the debate in Canada over gay marriage, which the ruling Conservatives oppose.

Already, Catholic MPs, including former prime minister Paul Martin, have been admonished by the church for supporting gay marriage. This weekend, in a move largely spawned by the church rebuke of Catholic MPs, the New Democratic Party will debate setting up a faith caucus.

The Pope's lecture to Ontario bishops is the third such appeal to Canadian clergy in recent months. He delivered similar messages to Atlantic Canadian and Quebec bishops in May and is to meet western Canadian bishops next month.

With each meeting, his comments have become more pointed. The Ontario meeting is the first in which he called on bishops to use their influence with politicians by urging them to consider religious values when making decisions, not just public opinion polls and social trends.

"Democracy succeeds only to the extent that it is based on truth and a correct understanding of the human person," he said. "Catholic involvement in political life cannot compromise on this principle."

The Pope also commended Ontario's Catholic schools for helping to evangelize the province's children in the face of an "insidious" relativism in today's schools.

Donna Marie Kennedy, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, says students in the separate school system are taught Catholic values as part of the curriculum, but are not graded on their level of adherence to papal edicts.

"How can I judge someone else's faith journey?" she asked. "That's a personal relationship."

As a publicly funded system, she said, the schools also teach the same curriculum as public schools.

The Toronto Catholic school board was not available for comment.

A Ministry of Education statement noted "the government may not interfere with the denominational aspects" of Catholic schools.

Benedict also returned to a theme he stressed with the other Canadian bishops, calling for greater "evangelism" in the church to make religion a bigger part of everyday life in Canada and the culture of the country.

Catholic schools, in his view, were key to this effort.

"Within the context of the evangelization of culture, I wish to mention the fine network of Catholic schools at the heart of ecclesial life in your province," he said. "I thank and encourage those many lay men and women ... who strive to ensure that your young people become daily more appreciative of the gift of faith."

Kennedy said she doubted the Pope's comments would lead teachers to infuse more theology into their lessons.

"As a teacher, I don't dispense theological advice."
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Toronto Star — 9 September 2006