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Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010
Week of May 3, 2004
Social justice changes take time to click
By ART BABYCH
Canadian Catholic News
Ottawa
Helping Canadian Catholics better understand the Church's teachings on social justice and then act upon them remains a major challenge, delegates to the annual forum of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops with national associations agreed.
"There is a big hole, not in Canadian Catholic social thought, but in how we Canadian Catholics mobilize for change," said Joe Gunn, director of the social affairs office of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).
National network
Gunn said there is no national Canadian Catholic network that can animate concerns related to justice issues in Canada.
It would be a "monumental task" to form such an organization and one unlikely to happen over the short term, he said.
"Remember that CCODP (Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace) is almost 40 years old and has struggled for years to build and mobilize the financial and human resources necessary to work nationally."
Co-ordinated action
One option would be for the national Catholic associations to commit themselves to a coordinated action for justice. "Working upon an agreed upon priority, together, would definitely make an impact," he said.
Another option would have the national associations "get to know and fully support the work of KAIROS," said Gunn, who is also co-chair of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.
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