Last Updated:Friday - 09/24/2010
June 2, 2008
WCR Letters to the Editor
Fight for the unborn child
I refer to article by Ramon Gonzalez entitled: "Go professional, Klusendorf exhorts pro- lifers" in theMay 12 WCR.
I counted around four dozen letters to media about ducks and finally there is one tiny article about the deliberate evil, immoral and shameful killing of defenceless human beings.
One person recently told me that "The most dangerous place today on this planet earth is for a child still in the mother's womb."
Let us face something about safety, respect, laws in our society. The birds have protection. You will serve time and pay thousands for messing around with an eagle's or peregrine's nest. Ducks are given extravagant attention.
However, the defenceless beings, the innocent children, the challenged humans, the euthanasia victims are left alone to be killed.
Look around you. How much open care or action do you see to defend the defenceless human beings?
Gonzalez heroically concluded with a note of Klusendorf: "We are trying to take on something that is unbelievably evil and we are doing it with a part-time army." How true that statement is.
The army in question is almost invisible. Pope John Paul reiterated to us countless times that as true Christians it is our obligation to wake up, to face and to attack the worst recent enemy, "the culture of death."
It seems that we spend vast periods of time congratulating ourselves about cushioned kneelers, or discussing the question of kneeling rather than piously standing at attention with your right hand over your heart while in church.
We overlook a vital fact that if the present evils increase at the rate they do now, soon, there won't be anyone left to argue if we should stand, sit or kneel in our churches. Bro. Ramon Gonzalez, keep up the good work.
Victor Fedyna
Edmonton
Catholic MLA voices must defend health care
Where are the Catholic values of Premier Stelmach and where are the voices of our Catholic MLAs?
The massive centralization of health care with a "business-minded" board undertaken under Health and Wellness Minister Ron Liepert is moving counter to the fundamental Catholic values of subsidiarity and health care as a social service.
The principle of subsidiarity declares that "it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do" (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 186, see nos. 185-191).
The questionable "efficiencies" of bureaucratic centralization of health care are significantly offset by the loss of response to local needs, local input and local responsibility in this vital area.
The repeated relapse of this government into a "business" model of health care not only doesn't work, but contaminates the basic Catholic value of health care as a social service with the for-profit orientation of corporations.
The Church and our Alberta Catholic bishops have repeatedly emphasized the difference between health care and business.
I believe a Catholic politician is called to make the hard decisions of educating and challenging citizens to the significant sacrifices they need to make that health care might be a common good.
Charles Weckend
Fort McMurray
Support of married priests endorsed
I appreciated Father Mihajlo Planchak's testimony to his ministry as a married priest in the Ukrainian Catholic tradition (WCR Letters, April 14).
For far too long, the dominant Latin rite part of the Church has failed to recognize the powerful example of the effective ministry of these married priests in other rites of the universal Church. Meanwhile, we make desperate efforts to recruit priests from countries which badly need them in their own dioceses or religious orders rather than persuasively and continually pressuring the Vatican to open up the Latin rite to a married clergy in countries like Canada where the people are ready to accept such clergy.
Edward Kennedy, CSsR
Edmonton
Letter to the Editor - 06/09/08
Archbishop MacNeil expresses gratitude
I thank you Mr. Argan and Ramon Gonzalez for the splendid front page articleMay 19, 2008 on the occasion of my 60th anniversary of priesthood.
May I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Archbishop Richard Smith for initiating plans for the celebration on May 23rd in St. Joseph’s Basilica, for presiding and preaching.
I thank the priests who concelebrated and all the others who participated in the sanctuary or in the congregation – so many good friends. It was very impressive and heart-warming to experience the joyous atmosphere.
Finally, my thanks is offered to those who sent or brought cards, gifts and best wishes.
See you at the 70th !
+ J. N. MacNeil
Archbishop Emeritus of Edmonton
Letters to the Editor
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