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Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

Week of November 8, 1999

Canadian and Foreign News Highlights

Pope urges Western bishops to explain Church teaching to unbelieving society:

The Church must speak the truth to contemporary society, but in a more compassionate way that recognizes not everyone agrees with Catholic teaching, Pope John Paul told the Western Canadian bishops. In promoting the dignity of human life and moral teachings, the Church should reach out to "those who see things differently and do not share our assumptions," the pope said Oct. 30. "We should not simply repeat but explain. In other words, we need a new apologetic, geared to the needs of today, which keeps in mind that our task is not just to win arguments but to win souls, to engage not in ideological bickering but to vindicate and promote the Gospel," he said.

Medieval institute honours MacNeil:

Retired Edmonton Archbishop Joseph MacNeil has been awarded an honourary doctorate from Toronto's Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies.In his convocation address Oct. 23, MacNeil reminded the graduating class of the relevance of their scholarship. "Many people in our society are struggling with basic human values," said MacNeil. "This institute is engaged with making known these human values in teaching the teachers, leading the leaders. That is one of the greatest gifts of our Church to humanity." The degree is at least the fourth honourary doctorate awarded to the retired Edmonton archbishop.

Pope warns of economic disaster:

Warning of potential catastrophe to the world economy, Pope John Paul renewed his call for a reduction or outright cancellation of international debt burdens on poor countries. "Today, in the context of a 'globalized' economy, the problem of international debt is even more thorny, but globalization itself requires that one travel the road of solidarity, if one does not want to run up against a general catastrophe," he said in his weekly audience talk Nov. 3.

Rich-poor gap growing - Allmand:

Despite promises that economic globalization would lead to redistribution of the wealth, the gap between the rich and poor continues to grow, says former long-time Liberal MP Warren Allmand. "The people at the top are earning more and more of the national wealth, the middle-class is declining and the growing group is the people who are living under the poverty line," Allmand said Oct. 30.

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