Last Updated:Friday - 09/24/2010
July 26, 2004
WCR Letters to the Editor
No excuses!
Re: "'Lighten up Fred, for the good of all,' says reader" by Leonard Allbon(WCR, June 28).
Mr. Allbon appears to believe that excommunicating politicians like Paul Martin and John Kerry would be opposed to charity. This is a false view, a view which is contrary to the teachings of Christ and his Church.
Because excommunication is a discipline of the Church, it is a discipline of Christ (since the Church is the Body of Christ). But the obligation of all Christians to practise the virtue of charity is a doctrine of the Church and therefore a doctrine of Christ.
Those who promote the intrinsic evil of abortion in the political sphere violate the moral law of reason that God the Absolute Good has written in every man's heart regardless of his religion, thereby departing from the state of sanctifying grace (which is necessary for salvation) and entering the state of mortal sin.
This does not contradict God's infinite love and mercy because such persons have chosen of their own will to reject the law of God. Now because God is goodness itself and consequently forbids what is evil, he who rejects the law of God necessarily rejects God himself.
Of course, God himself does not want such souls to go to hell and continually calls them to repentance, so that they will return to the state of sanctifying grace and be saved.
The Code of Canon Law states: "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication" (1398).
"The excommunication," says Pope John Paul in Evangelium Vitae, "affects all those who commit this crime with knowledge of the penalty attached, and thus includes those accomplices without whose help the crime would not have been committed."
Now read what the holy father says next: "By this reiterated sanction, the Church makes clear that abortion is a most serious and dangerous crime, thereby encouraging those who commit it to seek without delay the path of conversion."
Derek Remus
Coaldale
Democracy demands inclusion
Before the recent federal election, theCatholic bishops of Canada said that it was our duty to vote. However, less than 61 per cent of the electorate did - an all-time low voter turnout. This prompted John Carpay, Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, to ask an Edmonton audience to think about just how narrow and limited our democracy is.
Is it restricted and weak or do we have it at all? We are constantly told that we live in a democracy. But can it be seriously argued that a person who attends school for only one day every four years is getting an education? Or that one who is sick most days is healthy?
To be meaningful, democracy must allow all citizens to participate fully in all of the important decisions that affect their lives. And not just permit politicians in power to legislate the corporate agenda aggressively pushed by privately financed organizations such as the Fraser Institute, the National Citizens Coalition and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Democracy means more than higher profits and lower taxes. Ultimately, it is about how well we treat each other. "We are all really responsible for all," as the bishops pointed out. This is the concept of the common good in Catholic moral and social teaching.
Mr. Carpay made one good suggestion though: fixed dates for elections.
Fred Douglas
Edmonton
God entrusts each baby's body to us
There are many things one can say about the events that transpired during the recent election campaign, but what I found particularly disturbing was the constant labelling (by the left-wing media and politicians) of people who value the dignity of life as some sort of fringe lunatics.
I recently read an article (from the BBC of all places), that highlighted some amazing new breakthroughs in ultrasound technology.
Images show a 12-week-old baby walking in the womb, rubbing his eyes, yawning.
When pro-abortion lunatics rant and rave about how pro-life people have no right telling women what to do with their bodies, they are entirely correct.
Nobody has a right to tell a woman what to do with her body.
However, how many courses in buffoonery does it take to be stupid enough, to think that the walking, yawning, kicking, child with the heartbeat that has been proven to feel pain, with a completely distinct genetic make-up is "the woman's body"?
If a woman is pregnant with a baby boy, does this mean she is both male and female?
Get real.
The child is within the mother's body.
The mother's nose, hair and fingers are part of her body.
People who actually have enough common sense to recognize the hollow reasoning of the liberal elitists should never be ashamed or willing to tackle this issue head on.
Don't be mocked by irrational people who are too cowardly and embarrassed to finish the sentence, when they say they support the "right to choose."
The bottom line is the pro-abortionists will always sling mud, but have absolutely no foundation to defend their positions.
(Now we know where the Liberals get their campaign strategies.)
Shaun Malo
Edmonton
Columnist blows sister away
Mark Pickup you never cease to blow me away.
Your recent article "Celebrate the mystery of the Mass"(WCR, June 7) is beautifully written because it was beautifully lived.
Thanks for sharing an intimate moment with the God who inspires and sustains you in all your joys and sorrows.
I have heard you speak at several pro-life gatherings, great and small, near and far, over the years and have never ceased to be emotionally stirred by the strength and conviction of your words.
Thank you for affirming our need to listen even for a whisper.
Sr. Elaine Cole
Leamington, Ont.
Proud, independent Nfld. school reaches out for help
We live in the small town of St. Alban's located on the south coast of Newfoundland. This town has always had a public school supported by the infrastructure which the town has built over the years such as an arena, baseball diamond, soccer field, medical clinic, etc., all of which are situated in close proximity to the school.
In June 2003, the school board decided to close our school and bus our children to a school in a much smaller community with far fewer amenities. The decision was final.
The parents of this community felt strongly that this was a step backward for our children and they were not about to sit back and let it happen.
A committee of volunteer parents and community members was set up to find a solution to the injustice they felt was being done. They decided to work towards an independent school.
The school board which was leasing the building was contacted and it was agreed that we could use the school already in town. This school, Holy Cross, was built by the local residents in 1949. Major fundraising efforts were undertaken, our own school board was set up and we became incorporated. Countless hours of preparation was put into setting up this independent school.
Proudly on Sept. 15, 2003 the community of St. Alban's and St. Ignatius Parish opened the doors of Holy Cross as an independent community school to 51 (K-7) students. We receive no public funding. The students pay a tuition fee of $1,000 per student and we were able to secure a bursary fund for families who need financial assistance.
The only paid positions in the school are the 3.5 teaching units. All other work, from cleaning bathrooms to removing snow from the parking lot to the administration, is done by the more than 70 volunteer parents and community members. We operate on a shoestring budget of $160,000.
We have been operating for five months and the interest, enthusiasm and devotion displayed by parents, volunteers, staff and students go beyond words. We feel that the sense of community and belonging in our school today is overwhelming.
The children exhibit a sense of pride in their school the likes of which has not been witnessed in many years. When they see their parents caring for them and their school, they pick up on that sense of pride and caring and imitate it.
We have come a long way. However, we feel we need more help in further developing our programs such as music, French, phys-ed and art.
To give you some idea of our needs, let me say that our school once possessed a beautiful piano which was donated to the school by a member of the church in the 1960s. When the school board closed our school, it removed our piano and put it in another school in another community - into a school which already had one, if not two, pianos. To date we are still without a piano and other music equipment.
We always had an excellent music program in our school with our students proudly participating with others in the Kiwanis music festivals. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our piano but we plod on, uplifted by our children's happiness and well-being.
Likewise, we have a beautiful regulation size gym. Again, the school board removed most, if not all, the gym equipment to another school.
We are happy to report that some of this equipment has been replaced through donated Canadian Tire money; but we need much more.
The list goes on. We continue to work hard but some help would be greatly appreciated.
In September 2004 we hope to accommodate more children and offer a K-9 program.
Fundraising is a major challenge.
The town of St. Alban's, although rich in enthusiasm and spirit, has a population of 1,400 with a low economic base. Even so, financial support has been astounding.
Businesses, families, individuals, former residents and several Catholic organizations have given generously.
Any financial assistance would be greatly appreciated. All donations are tax deductible.
You can visit our website by going to the Town of St. Alban's and following the links to Holy Cross atwww.stalbans.ca/HolyCrossSchool.htm.
If you need further information please call me at (709) 538-3496 or call the school at (709) 538-3524 and leave a message.
E. Gail Willcott
Holy Cross Community School Inc.
P.O. Box 530
St. Alban's, Nfld.
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