The nature of work is changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped drive a transformation in the ways Canadians work—bringing to bear new questions about the dignity of work, most especially for essential workers like healthcare staff and grocery store workers, those working primarily from home, or the many whose lost working hours due to lockdowns, relying more than ever on precarious work. Remote work has increased, as has work in the gig economy—whether app-based delivery services, or otherwise. The Government of Ontario launched a Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee to analyze the many shifting realities of the labour market and propose changes to various government programs that support workers.
The Government of Ontario has announced it intends to implement several of the committee’s recommendations, including:
Appointing an expert to design and test a portable benefits program, where contributors could be employers, workers, and the government;
Introduce the “right to disconnect” from work email and work obligations after regular hours, to enhance work-life balance; and,
Give basic employment rights to gig or platform workers in the app-based space, like termination pay, minimum wage, regular payment of wages, and more.
OUR ANALYSIS:
CST CONCEPT—THE DIGNITY OF WORK
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church says that work has a “particular dignity” which makes it more than just an impersonal element of productivity. Work, it says, “is an expression of the person.” The final goal of work is the human person—work must be oriented to the subject who performs it. That’s why the dignity of work is tied so crucially to the dignity of the human person—work is at the heart of who we are, as co-creators with God, in the model of Christ, who also worked.
That’s why it is crucial that work be dignifying. Work, says the Compendium, is “superior to every other factor connected with productivity”, especially in regard to capital—referring, of course, to the money and other material goods which are products or elements of the economy. In Part 279, the Compendium states that:
The relationship between labour and capital often shows traits of antagonism that take on new forms with the changing of social and economic contexts. In the past, the origin of the conflict between capital and labour was found above all “in the fact that the workers put their powers at the disposal of the entrepreneurs, and these, following the principle of maximum profit, tried to establish the lowest possible wages for the work done by the employees”. In our present day, this conflict shows aspects that are new and perhaps more disquieting: scientific and technological progress and the globalization of markets, of themselves a source of development and progress, expose workers to the risk of being exploited by the mechanisms of the economy and by the unrestrained quest for productivity.
This is important context in considering efforts—such as Ontario’s—to address the new realities of working that we engage in today. It used to be common for workers to remain with the same firm their entire lives, to be part of unionized workplaces, to have access to steadier and more consistent work. Today we see a proliferation of work that does not rely on traditional employment hours, or regular wages. Instead, time is banked, tips are depended on, hours are determined by the employee rather than the employer. Yet benefits programs in Ontario are often tied to such traditional employment. For less traditional employees—like those in app-based companies—benefits are harder to come by.
We must consider—for the sake of solidarity and the dignity of work, how can we reform these programs, so they capture the full measure of employment categories today?
CST RIGHT—REST FROM WORK
The Compendium states that “rest from work is a right.” This right goes back to Scripture, as even God rested after seven days of good work creating the world in Genesis. Human beings must have sufficient rest and free time for family, cultural, social and religious life. All of these are critical to a full, human life, lived in community and in service to others.
One of the great challenges of the modern economy is how totalizing work can be. For many professionals especially, constant access to work email and the blurring of regular working hours can lead to far more work done than is renumerated for. The pandemic has accelerated these trends—as more and more work from home, more and more the lines between work and home have disappeared.
The so-called “right to disconnect” and laws supporting it have appeared in recent years, ensuring that employers cannot contact or engage their employees outside of working hours. Can this be considered an expression or a fruit of Catholic social teaching’s “right to rest from work”? Others might have different views, but for myself, I believe so, and I would like to see a deepening conversation about this Catholic principle of a right to rest.
One famous Catholic writer, Josef Pieper, wrote a book called Leisure as the Basis of Culture. He writes that:
“The ability to be ‘at leisure’ is one of the basic powers of the human soul… the power to be at leisure is the power to step beyond the working world and win contact with those superhuman, life-giving forces that can send us, renewed and alive again, into the busy world of work…”
Here again we come back to the Compendium. Rest is needed to make possible so much of life—participation in the life of the Church, participation in culture, social life, relationships, friendships, family life, the list goes on. How do we protect it?
In this webinar, we asked – how do scientists understand theology and theologians understand science? How can we see the logos – the order, rationality, beauty, and intelligibility – in nature through the extraordinary coherence of physical reality? What does nature tell us about God? The team at Catholic Conscience were grateful for the occasion to have a wide-ranging exploration of these matters with Rev Dr Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti.
Meet our guest:
Fr Giuseppe is a Full Professor of Fundamental Theology at the School of Theology, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, as well as an Adjunct Scholar of the Vatican Observatory. He was formerly part of the Italian C.N.R. fellowship and an astronomer at the Astronomical Observatory of Turin. He is also a member of the International Astronomical Union and is currently Editor in Chief of the Interdisciplinary Encyclopedia of Religion and Science.
You can find his work on his website and look forward to his forthcoming book – ‘Scientific Perspectives in Fundamental Theology: Understanding Christian Faith in the Age of Scientific Reason’, published by Claremont Press.
Further resources:
John D. Barrow, The Artful Universe (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995)
Marco Bersanelli and Mario Gargantini, From Galileo to Gell-Mann. The Wonder that Inspired the Greatest Scientists of All Time (Conshohocken: Templeton Press 2009)
Alister McGrath, The Re-enchantment of Nature. Science, Religion and the Human Sense of Wonder (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2002)
Alister McGrath, Re-Imagining Nature: The Promise of a Christian Natural Theology (Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 2016)
Tom McLeish, The Poetry and Music of Science. Comparing Creativity in Science and Art (Oxford: Oxford University, Press 2019)
Michael Heller, The World and the Word (Tucson AZ: Pachart, 1986)
David C. Lindberg, Ron L. Numbers (eds.), God and nature. Historical essays on the encounter between Christianity and science (Berkeley – London: University of California Press, 1986)
Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti, Scientific Perspectives in Fundamental Theology, Claremont Press, CA, forthcoming (Spring 2022)
Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti, “The Book of Nature and the God of Scientists according to the Encyclical Fides et ratio”, in The Human Search for Truth: Philosophy, Science, Faith. The Outlook for the Third Millennium (Philadelphia: St. Joseph’s University Press, 2001), 82-90
Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti, “The Two Books prior to the Scientific Revolution,” Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 57 (2005), n. 3, 235-248
Announcing the Catholic School Trustees Workshop, new Fratelli tutti series, and more
Catholic Conscience Newsletter January 2022
A LETTER FROM BRENDAN
Hi, I’m Brendan. It’s nice to meet you! As executive director of Catholic Conscience, I’m one of the people behind this newsletter, and the work of our apostolate.
It’s important we get to know each other. Why? Because Catholic civic and political engagement—our mission at Catholic Conscience—is all about friendship and fellowship. Two words you don’t often hear in politics! But friendship is how I got started here.
Three years ago, I met our founder, Matthew Marquardt in a coffee shop in downtown Toronto. Matt had been doing a lot of good work engaging Catholics during elections. I know a little about elections. I had spent ten years prior to this engaged in partisan politics—working on campaigns, for politicians, and seeing how ideologies skewed the truth and beauty of life while undermining human dignity. After meeting Matt, I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to join Catholic Conscience’s mission, bringing the Gospel into public life by forming citizens through the full breadth of Catholic social teaching—citizens like you! (If you’re curious to hear the full origin story, this podcast has all the details)
That’s why we’re here: for you. This apostolate is about all of us. I am confident that learning about the incomparable wisdom of Catholic social teaching and discovering how God wants you to serve your neighbours will change your life for the better—and change the communities and country we love! Whether you’re called to vote with Catholic social teaching at heart (this one’s for all of us), or called to run for office; called to volunteer for a cause, work for government or a political party, or called to start a new ministry or company; whatever the case may be, here at Catholic Conscience we ask, how can we help you do the good you’re meant to do by equipping you with the knowledge and wisdom of Catholic social teaching?
The good you are meant to do matters for all of us. In this issue of the Catholic Commons, you’ll read about a keynote speech the Pope gave last year talking about a global retreat from democracy into authoritarianism—the kinds of societies where people can’t give the fullness of their gifts to their neighbours for the common good of all. Responding to that speech, Matt writes in Catholic Social Teaching Applied that one of the greatest crises of our times is the lack of active citizen participation in public life. This lack of participation deprives our communities of many gifts, leaves numerous social issues under-addressed, and prevents us from building the culture of human dignity, subsidiarity, solidarity, and the common good that Christ desires. This is a huge problem! We need everyone all-in, well-formed in the tenets of our faith. Great Catholics are great citizens, after all, and they bring others to Christ through the love they bring to public life.
This big challenge has been our focus here ever since I started on this journey with Matt. Three years later, Catholic Conscience now reach Catholics across the country, and we’ve done a lot to shape a new generation of Catholic leaders for public service as voters, politicians, civic-minded servant-leaders, and more. But it all started with that coffee between strangers—the beginnings of a friendship between Matt and I that has become a site of incredible grace in my life.
We all need friendship right now. These are wondrous but challenging times. Catholics can build a better society and politics when we learn Christ’s vision for our communities through Church teaching and discover how God is asking us to, in the words of the Catechism, “participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good.” Thank you for joining us on that journey of service—I hope we help you become the disciple God made you to be!
Here’s four quick things you might be interested in, happening at Catholic Conscience right now:
Our next webinar in the Beauty of Creation series on science, Catholicism, and civic life is coming on February 5th: exploring God’s revelation in nature with an associate of the Vatican Observatory (Isn’t it amazing the Vatican has an astronomical observatory?), Rev. Dr. Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti. Click here to register—the event is totally free!
Are you interested in running for election as a Catholic school board trustee? We’re hosting a one-day workshop on Saturday, April 9th alongside the St. Monica Institute and Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association designed to help those discerning. It’s a friendly, hospitable space to learn from experts about trustees and what they do, explore the Catholic vision for education and student well-being, and discover whether you want to serve your community in this profoundly impactful way. Learn more and find out how to apply by clicking here.
We just launched a new videos series, diving into Fratelli tutti—Pope Francis’ encyclical on social friendship and fraternity—chapter-by-chapter with Catholic leaders. You can watch the full series by clicking here. We’re passionate about this encyclical and how deeply it connects to our mission. We hope the series helps you discover the fullness of wisdom in Pope Francis’ words!
Please send me an email at brendan@catholicconscience.org if you ever have an idea or want to learn more. God bless you—please pray for us, that this apostolate may be fruitful for the building of our Lord’s Kingdom! We are praying for you, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
In this monthly feature, we will share with you a summary of one Bill currently being considered by a Canadian parliament and the dialogue around that Bill: its purpose, a short summary of the views of its proponents and opponents, and what elements of Catholic social teaching might be utilized to shed light on the proposal. A condensed summary will be offered in our newsletter. You can visit our website for the full brief.
BILL C-6: HEALTH-BASED APPROACHES TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE
This month we review a government-sponsored Bill currently being considered by the Canadian Parliament, intended to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug-related crimes, as a part of a federal policy to treat drug abuse as a health problem, rather than a criminal matter.
The Act summarized below is intended at least partly to advance the government’s shift toward treatment of addictions and substance abuse as health issues, rather than criminal matters. A broad range of health professionals, police officers, and others have spoken in support of the change.
Bill C-5 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drug and Substances Act
Government Bill, introduced in Commons on December 7, 2021.
The summary reads: “This enactment amends the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to, among other things, repeal certain mandatory minimum penalties, allow for a greater use of conditional sentences and establish diversion measures for simple drug possession offences.”
Status: The Bill’s first reading was completed December 7, 2021. The Bill is in the process of undergoing Second Reading.
Charter Statement:
Overview of Bill Bill C-5 would make a number of amendments to the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that seek to fulfill the Government of Canada’s commitment to address systemic inequities, including the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples, Black, and marginalized Canadians, in the criminal justice system. There are three areas of proposed reform in the Bill: (1) the repeal of all mandatory minimum penalties of imprisonment (MMPs) for offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the repeal of MMPs for a tobacco offence and some offences involving the possession or use of firearms under the Criminal Code; (2) changes to increase the availability of conditional sentences under the Criminal Code; and, (3) changes to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to promote the use of diversion for simple possession of drugs.
Three recent news stories for you to ponder as a civic-minded Catholic:
CATHOLICS INSPIRE LOCAL MP TO ENDORSE CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY LAW: Have you ever met with your local Member of Parliament? You’d be amazed how few people ever reach out personally to their local representatives—but these conversations can convert hearts and make a real difference.
That was the recent experience of the parishioners of St. Joseph’s Parish in Sarnia:Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu has joined with Development and Peace – Caritas Canada in endorsing a proposed new international corporate accountability law. “We need a law in Canada that will require Canadian companies to act that way in the world — to prevent human rights abuse and environmental harm overseas and include real consequences for companies that fail to take adequate steps to prevent harm,” Gladu said in a 36-second video Development and Peace posted to its Facebook account just before Christmas. The Sarnia-Lambton MP made the video after hearing from Development and Peace members at St. Joseph’s Parish in Sarnia about their support for model legislation requiring Canadian corporations to monitor and report on human rights throughout their supply chain. Luke Stocking at D&P (and a Catholic Conscience board member!) says: “Any time you can get a Conservative to endorse a campaign demand like the one we have right now, it’s only a good thing for building political consensus… It’s not partisan. We’re not engaged in partisan politics. We’re remaining faithful to the social teaching of the Church.”
Point to ponder: Participation is a core principle of Catholic social teaching. Is there a local ministry, apostolate or group you are part of, which is passionately engaged on a particular issue? Have you tried reaching out to your local politicians to engage them in this issue—even if you think they won’t agree because of the political party they are part of?
POPE ENCOURAGES BUSINESS LEADERS WHO TRY TO PUT EMPLOYEES FIRST: In a recent audience, Pope Francis had some encouraging words for Catholic business leaders—including managers and entrepreneurs—seeking to live out the fullness of their faith in their vocations: Pope Francis also told the business leaders that what he has told pastors about “smelling like the sheep” applies to them as well and involves knowing their employees, their talents, dreams and struggles. And, he said, the best exercise of authority is to share it when possible, recognizing and encouraging every employee to contribute what he or she can to the business.
The Christian manager is called to consider carefully the place assigned to all the people in his or her company, including those whose duties might seem of lesser importance, because each is important in God’s eyes,” he said. Even if being the boss sometimes means making tough decisions, there should be a general approach of allowing “each person to give the best of himself or herself, to feel that he or she is participating, to bear his or her share of responsibility and thus contribute to the good of the whole.”
Point to ponder: All of us collaborate with others in our professional lives. Some of us have individuals who we are directly responsible for as leaders and managers. The Catholic social teaching principle of subsidiarity—that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, most local, competent authority—applies to institutions, but also applies to people. Do you allow those you work with the maximum freedom within their competency to execute their work responsibly and creatively, encouraging them to take ownership in using their gifts? How can you improve in this?
CONSIDERING UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME THROUGH THE LENS OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: One of the challenges we face as civic-minded Catholics is how to take the principles and ideas of Catholic social teaching and apply them in the real world, especially in how we think about political ideas and policy proposals. Brendan recently sat down with Dr. Brett Salkeld at the Archdiocese of Regina for a podcast discussion of one idea—a universal basic income—and together they used Catholic social teaching as a frame of analysis, considering the pros and cons. “A good stance, I think, for a Catholic going into a policy debate is to know that a) there will be no silver bullets, and b) there will be unintended consequences of almost any policy,” said Brendan. You can listen to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of the conversation by following those links.
Point to ponder: After listening to the conversation, what aspects of Catholic social teaching do you think Brendan and Brett didn’t consider but are nonetheless relevant when analyzing the issue? What other facts should be taken into consideration when reviewing proposals for a universal basic income, beyond the principles highlighted in the podcast?
During a keynote speech in Athens, Greece—“where democracy was born”—Pope Francis expressed his grave concerns with a worldwide movement away from democracy and called for a “change in direction.”
“Democracy requires participation and involvement on the part of all; consequently, it demands hard work and patience. It is complex, whereas authoritarianism is peremptory, and populism’s easy answers appear attractive.”
“Universal participation is something essential; not simply to attain shared goals but also because it corresponds to what we are: social beings, at once unique and interdependent.”
“Let us help one another, instead, to pass from partisanship to participation; from committing ourselves to supporting our party alone to engaging ourselves actively for the promotion of all.”
OUR ANALYSIS: Written by Matthew Marquardt
CST PRINCIPLE—PARTICIPATION Pope Francis, speaking in Athens to the president and other Greek governmental and civil leaders, renewed his plea for recommitment by world democracies to the foundational values of truth, freedom, justice and charity.
Pope Francis made specific reference to other nations as well as Greece, citing rising threats of populist nationalism and enculturated consumerism as particular concerns.
As an antidote to such problems, the Holy Father called citizens of all countries to active participation in their societies. The Church, of course, has long advocated active participation at all levels of society, in accordance with the depth of the gifts that have been entrusted to each individual by God. The Pope would appear to support the notion that widespread involvement by properly formed voters is key to the democratic success.
Although Canada, thankfully, is not yet critically threatened by populism, our democracy does indeed appear to be under attack, an attack that is abetted by our own lack of participation… CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL ANALYSIS
Prayer
The early new year is a difficult time for many, when seasonal depression and loneliness are high—challenges made all the more acute because of the pandemic. Dorothy Day (pictured above) knew what suffering meant as a disciple of Christ and lived a life where such suffering was put to the purposes of God. She once wrote: “Compassion—it is a word meaning ‘to suffer with.’ If we all carry a little of the burden, it will be lightened. If we share in the suffering of the world, then some will not have to endure so heavy an affliction.” Brendan, our executive director, recently wrote a reflection about this quote and its timely reminder that “to place oneself entirely at the service of others [amid suffering] is the surest path to brilliant joy.” You can click here to read the full reflection.
In this hard season, may we all reach out to others in our lives and help carry a little of their burdens—so that none of us must endure so heavy an affliction. DOROTHY DAY ON PRAYER An excerpt from her personal journal
So I resolved then to be more careful not to omit certain devotions that I let myself off from on account of my irregular life and fatigue. After all, when I have been working from seven until twelve at night, or traveling fifteen hours by bus, I can realize all the more these words, “Can you not watch with me one hour?” (Matt 26:40). That, I have resolved, is to be my motto for the coming year, in order to foster recollection.
“Can you not watch with me one hour?”
I shall remember this whenever I am tired and want to omit prayer, the extra prayers I shall set myself. Because after all I am going to try to pray the simplest, humblest way, with no spiritual ambition.
Morning prayers, in my room before going to Mass. I always omit them, rushing out of the house just in time as I do. If I were less slothful it would be better….
Around the middle of the day to take, even though it be to snatch, fifteen minutes of absolute quiet, thinking about God and talking to God.
The thing to remember is not to read so much or talk so much about God, but to talk to God. To practice the presence of God.
The Catholic duty of participation requires that we inform ourselves of social developments, particularly those of civic interest, and that we fully consider those developments in light of the Church’s social doctrine.
This month we review a government-sponsored Bill currently being considered by the Canadian Parliament, intended to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug-related crimes, as a part of a federal policy to treat drug abuse as a health problem, rather than a criminal matter.
“Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Act summarized below is intended at least partly to advance the government’s shift toward treatment of addictions and substance abuse as health issues, rather than criminal matters. A broad range of health professionals, police officers, and others have spoken in support of the change.
Presumably, at least Bill C-5 is intended to implement a part of the framework laid out by the government in its policy backgrounder Strengthening Canada’s Approach to Substance Use Issues, published in September 2018.
Bill C-5 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drug and Substances Act
Government Bill, introduced in Commons on December 7, 2021.
The summary reads: “This enactment amends the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to, among other things, repeal certain mandatory minimum penalties, allow for a greater use of conditional sentences and establish diversion measures for simple drug possession offences.”
Status: The Bill’s first reading was completed December 7, 2022. The Bill is in the process of undergoing Second Reading.
Charter Statement:
Overview of Bill Bill C-5 would make a number of amendments to the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that seek to fulfill the Government of Canada’s commitment to address systemic inequities, including the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples, Black, and marginalized Canadians, in the criminal justice system. There are three areas of proposed reform in the Bill: (1) the repeal of all mandatory minimum penalties of imprisonment (MMPs) for offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the repeal of MMPs for a tobacco offence and some offences involving the possession or use of firearms under the Criminal Code; (2) changes to increase the availability of conditional sentences under the Criminal Code; and, (3) changes to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to promote the use of diversion for simple possession of drugs.
The minister assessed impact of the bill on two Charter provisions: Section 12 protections against cruel and unusual treatment or punishment; and Section 7 rights to liberty. The minister concluded that the bill comports with Charter rights.
Catholic Social Teaching
Like all other social initiatives, policy developments pertaining to substance abuse and addictions should be considered in light of the full range of the Church’s social doctrine, including particularly the fundamental values of truth, freedom, justice, and charitable love; the principles of life and human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity; and Christian virtues such as wisdom, humility, prudence, and good stewardship.
Life & human dignity, solidarity, charitable love From the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church: “ So many needy brothers and sisters are waiting for help, so many who are oppressed are waiting for justice, so many who are unemployed are waiting for a job, so many peoples are waiting for respect. How can it be that even today there are still people dying of hunger? Condemned to illiteracy? Lacking the most basic medical care? Without a roof over their head? The scenario of poverty can extend indefinitely, if in addition to its traditional forms we think of its newer patterns. These new patterns often affect financially affluent sectors and groups which are nevertheless threatened by despair at the lack of meaning in their lives, by drug addiction, by fear of abandonment in old age or sickness, by marginalization or social discrimination…” (Section 5)
Social institutions, subsidiarity, the common good From the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church: “The family is the primary unit in society. It is where education begins and the Word of God is first nurtured. The Church considers the family as the first natural society, with underived rights that are proper to it, and places it at the centre of social life. Relegating the family to a subordinate or secondary role, excluding it from its rightful position in society, would be to inflict grave harm on the authentic growth of society as a whole.” (Sections 209-211).
The proper role of government and other human institutions is to foster human life and dignity by maintaining social conditions that enable and encourage us to serve God in one another, and thereby to promote that which is truly in the common interest. In virtue of the principle of subsidiarity, public authorities have no right to take away from the family tasks which it can accomplish well by itself or in free association with other families; on the other hand, these same authorities have the duty to sustain the family, ensuring that it has all the assistance that it needs to fulfil properly its responsibilities.
Freedom, justice, humility Pope Francis, in Fratelli tutti: “Some people are born into economically stable families, receive a fine education, grow up well nourished, or naturally possess great talent. They will certainly not need a proactive state; they need only claim their freedom. Yet the same rule clearly does not apply to a disabled person, to someone born in dire poverty, to those lacking a good education and with little access to adequate health care.If a society is governed primarily by the criteria of market freedom and efficiency, there is no place for such persons, and fraternity will remain just another vague ideal.” (Section 109)
“The Catholic Bishops of Canada are deeply troubled by the devastating effects of [drugs such as opioids like fentanyl and carfentanyl], in particular their ability to extinguish human life in an instant. Even when they do not kill directly, their addictive power creates what Pope Francis recently referred to as “a new form of slavery.” Persons suffering from addiction often have a distorted perception of reality and of what should be desired; the addiction itself is neither representative of who they really are nor is it an authentic expression of their will.
“Moreover, the social ramifications of drug addiction are many. It can be the cause of family breakdown and all kinds of impoverishment (social, educational, economic, emotional, spiritual, etc.). During pregnancy, the use of narcotics can result in miscarriage as well as infant chemical dependency and congenital health problems. Beyond the measurable effects of the crisis today, there are others that we do not yet know: effects that are passed down to the children of those afflicted by addictions or that linger in families and communities for years to come.
“A drug addiction crisis is a complex reality involving a combination of diverse narcotics, people, backgrounds, and contemporary pressures.”
Our Bishops also remind us that:
The Gospels chronicle how he [Jesus] cured the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead, and cast out demons. He also brought hope to the burdened and brokenhearted. His message extends also to caregivers, for he taught that when we care for the sick, we care for Christ himself. We are called, therefore, to bring hope and healing to those enslaved by drug addiction as well as to their families and communities.
Points to Ponder
Consider discussing the following questions with your local candidates, elected officials, and the parties, and with your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow parishioners. On prayerful reflection, consider sharing your conclusions with your elected representatives by writing respectful and informative letters.
These bills are steps in a broader National Approach to Substance Use initiative, which calls for amendment of several acts, and changes in the operations of several ministries, in order to shift substance abuse from a problematic, potentially criminal issue to a healthcare matter. For example, C-286 would direct the national minister of health to begin developing a strategy for treatment of substance abuse.
It is prudent to enact one part of the strategy before other parts are in place and ready also? It seems possible that decriminalization of possession might have significant effects on markets for commonly misused substances, and therefore the amount of substances available for misuse. Might that influence the number of users requiring care and assistance?
If true, could these consequences be adequately offset by increased access of affected individuals to mental and health care professionals?
As noted by the Canadian bishops and by Pope Francis, among others, substance abuse is a complex issue which has many, often interrelated causes and effects. For example, identified causes of substance abuse include family breakups, economic troubles such as job loss or unsatisfying work, loss of individual purpose or sense of purpose tied to communal or national life, other mental health challenges or personal tragedies. There would seem to be many causes of individuals losing hope.
Does our national strategy effectively and justly address all of the causes of substance abuse? For example, what about the availability of fulfilling, dignified work, and affordable, dignified housing?
It is generally conceded that contributing causes of substance abuse includes family breakdown and an unjust economic system. Is Canada, as a nation, establishing a social and economic framework that is truly supportive of families? If not, what more could be done?
Is our national healthcare system ready for any increased burdens these proposals might place on it? Numerous government officials at all levels have already noted that our healthcare system is overburdened, inefficient, and too expensive, and unable to serve the population now. This has been particularly true during the pandemic and is reported to have resulted in many deaths due to lack of available healthcare services.
Moreover, our Canadian bishops have noted that a significant contributing cause to the rising number of abuse-related deaths has been mis-prescription of opioid painkillers.
Is our healthcare system prepared to properly administer prescriptions, including alternative substances intended to help users end their addictions?
What is the plan for offering effective and appropriate health care and mental care for those seeking help for addictions? Should a broad range of addictions specialists be called together to craft proposals, and should there exist a process for funding those proposals?
Some are concerned that the legislation would work to de-stigmatize drug abuse, by striking references to abuse and attempting to make those who may be addicted feel more welcome to seek treatment, and thereby contribute to increased levels of abuse.
Do proposals include adequate educational efforts to warn children and others of the dangers of substance misuse, for example by campaigning for support for former addicts, or inclusion of expert descriptions of the real stories of addicts, in order to minimize addiction, with its massive personal and social costs?
A stated goal of Bill C-5 is to “address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people, Black Canadians, and members of marginalized communities [in Canada’s criminal justice system]. Bill C-5 focuses on existing laws that have exacerbated underlying social, economic, institutional, and historical disadvantage and which have contributed to systemic inequities at all stages of the criminal justice system, from first contact with law enforcement all the way through to sentencing.” The government states that mandatory minimum sentencing laws—those which this Bill would eliminate—have led to over-incarceration of these communities in Canada. The government further argues that the sorts of individuals affected by these mandatory minimum sentencing laws are the least likely to re-offend once released and deserve a second chance.
Will the proposal make a positive contribution to addressing these real issues as the government argues?
During a keynote speech in Athens, Greece—“where democracy was born”—Pope Francis expressed his grave concerns with a worldwide movement away from democracy, and called for a “change in direction.”
“Democracy requires participation and involvement on the part of all; consequently, it demands hard work and patience. It is complex, whereas authoritarianism is peremptory, and populism’s easy answers appear attractive.”
“Universal participation is something essential; not simply to attain shared goals but also because it corresponds to what we are: social beings, at once unique and interdependent.”
“Let us help one another, instead, to pass from partisanship to participation; from committing ourselves to supporting our party alone to engaging ourselves actively for the promotion of all.”
OUR ANALYSIS:
Written by Matthew Marquardt
CST PRINCIPLE—PARTICIPATION
Pope Francis, speaking in Athens to the president and other Greek governmental and civil leaders, renewed his plea for recommitment by world democracies to the foundational values of truth, freedom, justice and charity.
Pope Francis made specific reference to other nations as well as Greece, citing rising threats of populist nationalism and enculturated consumerism in many nations as particular concerns.
As an antidote to such problems, the Holy Father called citizens of all countries to active participation in their societies. The Church, of course, has long advocated active participation at all levels of society, in accordance with the depth of the gifts that have been entrusted to each individual by God (Matthew 25; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1913-1917). The Pope would appear to support the notion that widespread involvement by properly formed voters is the key to democratic success.
Although Canada, thankfully, is not yet critically threatened by populism, our democracy does indeed appear to be under attack, an attack that is abetted by our own lack of participation. And we can see the approach of populism in the highly polarized invective that has come to mark our politics. Nor can it be denied that much of what binds Canadians together is a deep, too often thoughtless commitment to the accumulation of maximum individual material wealth, without reference to need – our own or the needs of others. Watching news stories and trends in Canadian legislation, for example, we might ask ourselves whether an insidious and aggressive consumerism is being promoted by less-than-scrupulous power seekers in order to undermine the foundations of our Canadian brand of democracy, with various federal and provincial initiatives chipping away at personal and familial freedoms of conscience, speech, and religion—even the freedom to make our own personal health choices—while we distract ourselves with newer and ever-flashier gadgets and radical forms of self-expression and indulgence.
It’s common these days, for example, to attack social conventions and traditions—which are, after all, the fundamental premises of all governments—as obsolete and pointlessly restrictive ‘social constructs.’ Alarmingly, too many of these attacks appear to be spearheaded by ruling governments themselves.
As the Holy Father has suggested, the answer to these woes is participation. And it is critical to accept the need for a common basis of participation, if truth, freedom, justice and love are to overcome selfishness, lies, and the slavery of populism and consumerism.
Historically, of course, modern democracies were founded on precisely these values: the enculturated Christian values of truth, freedom, justice, and love guiding application of the principles of human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity. It is not coincidence that the historically-accepted values of society are the same Christian social values expressly adopted by Catholic social doctrine.
These development and application of these principles and values was made possible because Christian society, in common with our Jewish and Muslim cousins, shared a common understanding of the meaning of life: that we, being lost children of God, are meant apply ourselves, using our full strength, to the search for truth—which for us is God—and thereby find our ways back to Him. And we Christians have been instructed, by Christ (Matthew 22) that this process intimately involves bringing with us on the way to God as many of our neighbors as we can bring by mean of gentle persuasion—persuasion based on joyful witness to Christ as an integral part of our daily lives.
It is the rejection of that common purpose of life that is being instigated by those who deny the existence of either God or any other objective truth. Such forces insist that our creation is an accident, and that the best we can do with this life is to pursue our own personal definitions of pleasure and ‘well-being.’
With no broadly accepted purpose of life, it is not possible to propose any broadly-agreed role for government; and society quickly devolves into one form or another of might-makes-right, or, as we have defined in the context of nature, as “the survival of the fittest.”
Two of the many items Catholic Conscience looks for when reviewing a party’s platform and constitutional documents while preparing our election guides are the party’s positions on the meaning of life and the purpose of government. At this point, few of the parties are willing to share commitments on these issues. One of our current priority goals is to encourage them to do so. Please join us in encouraging parties and candidates to define and share their positions on these and other issues, so that we can begin to build consensus on the purpose of our societies, and in so doing help to strengthen our democracy and ensure its durability.
When you think about your own political beliefs and decisions—how you vote, who you donate money to, what causes you support—do you consider the purpose of life in those choices?
What do you believe is the purpose of life? What does Christ tell us about the purpose of life?
In our own democracy, what do you believe are the most serious threats to a society based in truth, charity, and human dignity? What does Catholic social teaching say about these issues? Pray about how you could make a contribution to addressing these challenges.
A conversation with two Catholics trained in neuroscience and psychiatry. During the discussion, we explored health, the unity of body and soul, and the nature of human well-being, synthesizing science and Catholic wisdom about the human person. A webinar in our Beauty of Creation Series.
DISCLAIMER: this is a philosophical and theological discussion of health and does not constitute medical advice.
Our Guests – Fr Peter Turrone & Dr Natasha Fernandes:
Fr Peter has a background in medical science and neuroscience, working as a research scientist at Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) on the side effects of antipsychotic drugs before he was called to the priesthood. After 5 years at the Newman Centre at UofT, Fr Peter is now Pastor of the Forest Hill parish in the Archdiocese of Toronto.
Dr. Fernandes is a general Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor who specializes in the care for adults with developmental disabilities. She works in the Adult Neurodevelopmental Services outpatient clinic and provides consults to the Emergency Department and Inpatient units at CAMH.
Christian disciples journey into Pope Francis’ encyclical on fraternity and social friendship
Join us in conversation with Catholic leaders in ministry, apostolate, and public life, as we together read and explore Pope Francis’ encyclical, Fratelli tutti—on fraternity and social friendship—chapter-by-chapter through the lens of Catholic social teaching and the most pressing moral challenges of our times.
Hosted by our executive director, Brendan Steven, this series of conversations produced by Catholic Conscience goes prayerfully and deeply into the text of the encyclical—walking together through this extraordinary guide for loving and serving our neighbours in civic and political life, as offered by our Holy Father.
Catholic Conscience is Canada’s non-partisan Catholic civic and political leadership and engagement organization. Our mission is civic evangelization through Catholic social teaching: forming citizens in the full breadth of our faith’s social vision, and thereby forming our Catholic community into a diverse, influential, and gently persuasive family of voices within Canadian civil society and politics. We are deeply inspired in this lay apostolate by Fratelli tutti, and Pope Francis’s exhortation to political love. We are excited to present this series to you in celebration of this encyclical and in hopes of helping to unlock all it can offer for Catholic neighbours living generously for all Canadians, seeking to have real encounters with others, and to build real fraternity and solidarity with all.
*Expand each panel below to view each video.
Chapter One: "Dark clouds over a closed world"
Chapter One: “Dark clouds over a closed world” with Agnes Richards, Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement Canada
We begin our in-depth reading of Fratelli tutti with its opening chapter. In conversation with our guest Agnes Richards - a passionate, Catholic climate change activist inspired by Pope Francis’ previous encyclical, Laudato Si’ - this video includes explorations of:
How our idea of who our neighbour is hasn’t necessarily widened, even as the horizons of culture and the economy widen through globalization;
Knowing and respecting our past as a prerequisite for building our future;
New forms of emerging poverty, particularly with the onset of climate change;
The importance of nurturing local cultural models, rather than forcing universal, imperial cultural models as a supposed prerequisite for material prosperity; and,
The hope found in those who, “in the midst of fear, respond by putting their lives on the line,” and the hope we have for the future even as climate change continues to threaten creation.
Working with an Advisory Circle, Faith & the Common Good, and with GCCM International, Agnes Richard is Coordinator of the Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement – Canada, a nation-wide network of Catholics focused on raising awareness of the Papal Encyclical Laudato Si’, and inspiring Catholics to act publicly to bring the values of ecological justice to life in Canada. She is a Climate Reality Leader trained with Hon. Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project.
In addition to Catholic Conscience, Agnes is an advisor to several community activist groups, including the “For the Love of Creation” general working group, the “Forum for Integral Human Ecology” of Catholic Conscience, and the Advisory Circle for Villa St. Joseph Ecology and Spirituality Centre.
Agnes is the mother of two lovely daughters, and works to ensure they inherit a just, stable, and sustainable environment in which to thrive.
Chapter Two: "A stranger on the road”
Chapter Two: "A stranger on the road” with Father Santo Arrigo, the Redemptorists
Our in-depth reading of Fratelli tutti continues with a closer look at chapter two—which includes the Pope’s moving reflection on the Good Samaritan parable—in conversation with Redemptorist priest, Father Santo Arrigo.
Alongside Father Santo, we explore in this conversation (among other topics):
How Pope Francis invites us into contemplation and reflection on how we are like each of the characters in the Good Samaritan parable in our own lives;
Imitating God’s compassion for all living beings, even those we cannot meet or see;
Overcoming the temptation to isolation and separation from our culture, our brothers and sisters, and fleeing the world instead of evangelizing within it;
The idolatry of time and busyness;
Letting the sight of a person suffering disturb us into loving action; and,
The Pope’s powerful assertion that to “include or exclude those lying wounded on the roadside can serve as a criterion for judging every economic, political, social and religious project.”
Fr. Santo is a Redemptorist Priest. He is a former member of the Redemptorist Youth Mission Team, a graduate of the Canadian Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies, and has experience in Parish Youth Ministry, Diocesan Youth Events, Young Adult Ministry and Inner-City Ministry. He served as the Coordinator of Redemptorist Vocation Ministry, Coordinator of Redemptorist Young Adult Ministry and Formation Director for the Redemptorist Community.
Chapter Three: "Envisaging and engendering an open world”
Chapter Three "Envisaging and engendering an open world" with Luke Stocking, Development & Peace
Our journey deeper into the wisdom of Fratelli tutti continues in conversation with Luke Stocking on chapter three, and the Pope’s call for openness to strangers and “the other.”
In this discussion, we explore among other topics:
Cultivating openness to others and a sense of real fraternity;
The virtue of openness to others;
How virtues depend on fostering unity with others;
Being open to others in a world where cultural status is often imbued by social hierarchy, and how we must be “free of every label and position” like the Good Samaritan to love generously; and,
Creating real fraternity with others in a culture that often reduces our fellow people to “associates”, based on their economic or social value to us.
Luke Stocking was born in Toronto but grew up on a 50-acre farm in a town called Uxbridge.
Today, he works for Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, the international solidarity movement of the Catholic Church in Canada. Luke was first involved with the movement as a high school student at the age of 16, when D&P had a special campaign to end sweatshop labour. He joined the staff of D&P in November 2006 as the Central Ontario Animator and served in that role for 12 years, working to inspire, educate and organize Canadian Catholics and all people of good will to bring the Gospel call to international solidarity to life. He has led trips for volunteer members to visit D&P partners in Zambia, the Philippines, Paraguay and Ethiopia. He is the Deputy Director of Public Engagement and the face of D&P’s leadership team for the Ontario and Atlantic regions. Luke has a Master of Arts in Theology from St. Michael’s at the University of Toronto with a focus on Catholic Social Teaching.
He is happily married with two children and lives in the Junction neighbourhood of Toronto. He sees himself as blessed to be able to support his family while living his vocation, which is living and giving witness to the social justice message of the Catholic Faith.
Chapter Four: “A heart open to the world”
Chapter Four - “A heart open to the world” with Deacon Rudy Ovcjak, Office for Refugees, Archdiocese of Toronto
We come now to chapter four in our exploration of Fratelli tutti. Alongside Deacon Rudy Ovcjak, we explore this chapter which so particularly calls attention to the plight of refugees and migrants. In this video, we look at these issues through the lens of Deacon Ovcjak’s work at the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Office for Refugees—one of the largest private sponsors of refugees in Canada—and his experience working with refugees in our country.
In this video, we explore among other topics:
Pope Francis’ four words describing a human response to the arrival of migrating persons—welcome, protect, promote and integrate;
Welcoming refugees as full participants in society, as citizens, with all the rights and responsibilities inherent in these;
The importance of gratuitousness, doing things simple because they are good in themselves, especially when it comes to welcoming the stranger;
The importance of having our own sense of rooted identity as we dialogue with others, and an openness between peoples based on love for one’s own land, people, and cultural roots; and,
The neighbourly and hospitable approach Catholics take in welcoming, sponsoring, and promoting refugees in our society.
A native of Toronto, Deacon Ovcjak graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in geography from Ryerson University in 1988 and began his career in the private sector, working for a number of national and international corporations.
In 2004, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario. He was ordained to the diaconate and graduated with a Diploma in Theology from the University of Toronto in 2010.
In 2015, Deacon Ovcjak began working with the Archdiocese of Toronto as a Parish Campaign Director. The following year, he joined the Office for Refugees at the Archdiocese of Toronto (ORAT), where he oversaw its day-to-day operations. He was appointed Director of ORAT by H.E. Cardinal Thomas Collins in 2017.
Deacon Ovcjak also currently serves at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Pickering, Ontario and as Chaplain of Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.
Chapter Five: “A better kind of politics”
Chapter Five: “A better kind of politics” with John Milloy, Centre for Public Ethics
As we now enter the second half of Fratelli tutti, we begin to explore the crucial chapter five, which hones in on Pope Francis’ ideas of political love, the vocation of the politician, and the need for a better politics. We are joined in this conversation by a Catholic, former Ontario education minister, and former prime ministerial advisor—John Milloy.
With John, this video explores among other topics:
Why our world can’t function without politics;
Politics as one of the highest forms of charity when oriented towards the common good;
Love in politics, and the need for a loving politics;
A politics where those on the margins are invited to participate fully, where their perspectives are privileged;
How politicians must practice love both in their work for all, and in their daily, interpersonal relationships; and,
From 2003 to 2014, John Milloy served as the member of provincial parliament (MPP) for Kitchener Centre in Ontario, holding five cabinet portfolios. Prior to that he worked on Parliament Hill as a political adviser to a number of senior cabinet ministers as well as spending five years on the senior staff of former prime minister Jean Chrétien. Today, he is an Assistant Professor of Public Ethics at Martin Luther University College, and Director of the Centre for Public Ethics. From 2003 to 2014, John Milloy served as the member of provincial parliament (MPP) for Kitchener Centre, holding five cabinet portfolios. Prior to that he worked on Parliament Hill as a political adviser to a number of senior cabinet ministers as well as spending five years on the senior staff of former prime minister Jean Chrétien. Today, he is an Assistant Professor of Public Ethics at Martin Luther University College, and Director of the Centre for Public Ethics.
Chapter Six: “Dialogue and friendship in society”
Chapter Six: “Dialogue and friendship in society” with Leah Perrault, Catholic author and speaker
In the wake of chapter five on political life, it’s appropriate we now turn to the topic of dialogue and friendship in society. As we explore these ideas in chapter six of Fratelli tutti, we are joined by Catholic author and speaker Leah Perrault, whose perspectives on dialogue are energizing and refreshing.
In dialogue with Leah, we discuss among other topics:
Dialogue as the basis of society;
The heroism of dialogue;
The Pope’s idea of a society of bartered self-interest, especially as a place where the law of the strongest prevails;
Society as a polyhedron, where differences coexist, complementing, enriching, and reciprocally illuminating one another, even amid disagreements and reservations; and,
Creating new processes of encounter, and a real culture of encounter, that leads to profound and concrete solidarity and fraternity with our fellow citizens.
Leah (McDonald) Perrault is the Executive Director of Southwest Homes in Swift Current. She left Saskatoon in the spring of 2021 where she served as the Director of Mission at St. Paul’s Hospital, since of September of 2018. She served as Executive Lead of Corporate Initiatives with Emmanuel Care (the Catholic Health Ministry of Saskatchewan) from 2015 to 2018. Between 2007 and 2015, Leah served as the Director of Pastoral Services for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. When she’s not busy with her day job, she speaks, consults and writes on the side. Her words find a home at retreats, schools, conferences, book clubs, board meetings, church groups, articles, books and hopefully in the hearts of those who hear and read them.
Leah has a master’s of arts in pastoral theology from the University of St. Michael’s College at the Toronto School of Theology (2009). Her bachelor’s of arts in English comes from Campion College at the University of Regina (2005), where she perfected the art of writing in the early mornings before sunrise, while her room mates were still sleeping.
Leah met her husband, Marc, during her first day on the university campus in Regina. They dated for four years and married in 2005. Since then, they have been working hard at this adventure called marriage, making each other better people in the process and hoping that their relationship is as good for the world as it is for them. Leah and Marc have been blessed with four amazing little people – Robyn, Eliot, Charlize, and Atticus. Their home is full of noise, books, toys, and big ideas.
Chapter Seven: “Paths of renewed encounter"
Chapter Seven: “Paths of renewed encounter" with Archbishop Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina, and friends
In chapter seven, we dialogue through our only group discussion of the series at the behest of our friend, Archbishop Donald Bolen of the Archdiocese of Regina, Saskatchewan. In this chapter centering on the need for truth, reconciliation and peace among different groups in society, we explore these themes specifically through the lens of ongoing struggles for truth and reconciliation in the relationship between Canada and Indigenous communities. To explore this journey of reconciliation, we are honoured to be joined by Jeannine Whitehouse—who plays a critical role integrating Indigenous curriculum and culture into Saskatchewan education—and Tashia Toupin, who works on these issues as the Archdiocese of Regina’s Social Justice Coordinator.
In this conversation, we touch on (among other themes):
Learning to cultivate a penitential memory;
Peace processes as requiring an enduring commitment in seeking truth and justice, honouring the memory of victims;
Truth as an inseparable companion of justice and mercy;
Building social peace;
The value and meaning of forgiveness; and,
The work of the Archdiocese of Regina, Catholics in Saskatchewan, Indigenous communities, and Jeannine’s work specifically on Indigenous cultural participation and curriculum in Catholic schools, as examples of hopeful steps towards truth and reconciliation here in Canada.
Archbishop Donald J. Bolen was installed as the eighth archbishop of the Regina archdiocese on October 14th, 2016. He took as his motto, Verbum Vitae, or Mercy within mercy within mercy. You can read more about Archbishop Bolen’s extensive work as a servant of Christ by clicking here: https://archregina.sk.ca/archbishops-office
Jeannine Whitehouse is an education consultant with the Government of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education.
Tashia Toupin is Social Justice Coordinator at the Archdiocese of Regina.
Chatper Eight: “Religions at the service of Fraternity in our world"
Chatper Eight: “Religions at the service of Fraternity in our world" with Father Kevin Belgrave, St. Augustine’s Seminary
We conclude our exploration of Fratelli tutti on a crucial topic expored in chapter eight: the role of religions in promoting fraternity in our world, and specifically, the role of religious people in building fraternity within society. We are excited to be joined in this exploration by Father Kevin Belgrave, who leads the lay formation program at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto.
In this final video, we discuss among other topics:
That we are “not orphans, but children,” and how without God there can be stability to co-existence but not real fraternity;
The collapse of just relations when we don’t acknowledge universal truth and the transcendent dignity of the human person;
Why we as Catholics are called to publicly witness to our faith, even as some parts of the culture tell us that faith must be hidden in the most private spheres of life;
The Church as a family of families, and the powerful role it can play on the world stage today as mother of us all; and,
The essential connection between the Gospel and advancing the dignity of all.
Fr. Kevin Belgrave is the Director of the Institute of Theology at St. Augustine’s Seminary where he also teaches a number of courses in moral theology, including bioethics, foundations of moral theology, human sexuality and Catholic social teachings. Fr. Belgrave received his Doctorate in Moral Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in 2014. In addition to his responsibilities at St. Augustine’s, Fr. Belgrave is actively involved in ongoing consultation and pastoral work for the Archdiocese of Toronto in a number of areas related to moral theology.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being with him was life, and the life was the light of all people… And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
JOHN 1: 1-4, 14
MERRY CHRISTMAS
FROM YOUR FRIENDS
FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH
Dear friends of Catholic Conscience, near and far,
Aware of our sins, we often wonder why we have been so graced to serve in this apostolate. In that inadequacy, we take solace in Christ’s words to St. Paul. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Grace surprises us. It captivates us through our rawest wounds. It floods us with purpose and life. It awakens our senses to the glory of God’s presence now, here, in this, and every moment. It marks us as his own. It bathes this creation he entered, flesh and blood, as a newborn in Bethlehem, destined to transfigure mankind.
This grace lives on in our Church and in the People of God. For us, this grace lives on in each of you. For the graces of this apostolate are in your gifts and in your friendship. They help us bring Catholic social teaching to a world in desperate need of it.
We felt grace in watching almost twenty Catholic leaders in civic and political life come together in early 2020 to plunge into the depths of Catholic social teaching and recommit their vocations to God and neighbour. We felt grace in listening to brilliant Catholic experts share their insights with others eager to explore their faith’s wisdom for the challenges of modern times, in webinars covering topics as diverse as voting, dialogue, money, throwaway culture, and our ongoing Beauty of Creation series on science and Catholicism.
We felt grace in the 2021 Canadian federal election—watching so many dioceses and parishes share our resources; bringing together Catholic representatives from the three major parties to answer Catholic questions about their visions for Canada; presenting to and dialoguing with Catholics in events from coast to coast about voting, Catholic social teaching; and more. We felt grace in the growing readership of the Catholic Commons, and your generous emails sharing your thoughts, ideas, and prayers with us. We felt grace in exploring Fratelli tutti and its intense relevance for our lives as Christian disciples in public life today, alongside dozens of parishioners and guests with Toronto’s St. Basil’s Parish.
On and on this year, we felt grace through you. Whether you volunteer with Catholic Conscience, are an avid follower or webinar participant, have read one of our election guides. Whatever the case, we felt the grace of your presence.
We also felt grace in the suffering. The pandemic has been hard on us, and hard on you. We have lost loved ones or walked with loved ones suffering. In this pain, there is the grace of Christ’s prayer for us all, “that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)
In everything that united us in 2021—joys, dreams, losses, pains—the oneness in sharing the Good News with you and in collaboration with you has been a true grace. Thank you.
A great saint once wrote that the children of God should always be sowers of peace and joy. Our mission is to share that peace and joy through Catholic social teaching, in a polarized world of ideologies, idolatries; hungry for a Christian humanism that will grace our public life. But for all Christians, we look to one place for these graces. This Christmas, we wait in anticipation for the source of our peace and our joy—Emmanuelle, God with us—and in turn, drawing from that source, we go out to share that peace and that joy with others, so the whole world might learn who he is and how his love saves us.
In that blessed spirit—and with our prayers for your flourishing in this season and always—we wish you, dear friends, a very merry Christmas. God bless you and all you do in our Lord’s service. May 2022 bring you grace, and truth, and Christ in every moment of your days.
Your friends in Christ,
Matthew Marquardt President & Founder, Catholic Conscience
Brendan Steven Executive Director, Catholic Conscience
P.S. To share with you in brief our impact together in 2021, please read below A Year for Civic Evangelization, a short overview of our apostolic activities these past twelve months.
Catholic Conscience presents: A webinar in our Beauty of Creation series Bearing the Image of God: The Nature of the Human Person Ft. Professor Sonsoles de Lacalle In Partnership with: Society of Catholic Scientists
We spoke with Professor Sonsoles de Lacalle – physician, neuroscientist, professor, and Chair of Health Science at California State University Channel Islands – about gender, sexuality and identity, highlighting the synthesis between rigorous science and the Catholic intellectual tradition. We discussed our sexually dimorphous nature, masculinity and femininity, our inherent complementarity, the purpose of sexuality, healthy development and the importance of the family, among other things.
SONSOLES DE LACALLE
Sonsoles de Lacalle obtained her M.D./Ph.D. from the University of Navarra (Spain) in Neuroscience. In 1990 she moved to the US with a Fulbright Fellowship to train in research at the University of Chicago. Her academic experience includes teaching and research in a medical setting (University of Chicago, Harvard Medical School, and Ohio University’s College of Medicine) and in predominantly undergraduate institutions (CSU Los Angeles, Charles Drew University and currently CSU Channel Islands).
Her research has focused on structural plasticity and brain responses to selective cell loss, and the extent to which the aged nervous system reacts to signals that can promote synaptogenesis and neural regeneration. Dr. de Lacalle has mentored undergraduate, graduate and medical school students, directed training programs and served as Program Director in NIH grants. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented many invited lectures at international symposia and universities.
THE COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AT RISK, Hardwired to connect. The new scientific case for authoritative communities. Published by the Institute for American Values, 2002.
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PEDIATRICIANS, Gender ideology harms children. In: www.ACPeds.org, 2017.
In the new Quick Commons feature, we’ll share three need-to-knows from this newsletter for your fast review.
Our next webinar in the Beauty of Creation series on Thursday, December 16 will cover our fundamental natures as human beings through science and the Catholic faith. Click here to register for the Zoom link.
Our new Parliament Brief feature will offer a closer look at Bills currently before Canadian parliaments, including proponents and opponents’ views of the Bill and Catholic social teaching relevant to the conversation. This month, we look at Bill C-6 on conversion therapy. Click here to read this month’s full Brief or scroll down for an abbreviated version.
Our new Catholic Social Teaching, Applied feature, will take a current issue or news story, and concretely apply CST values, virtues and permanent principles in analyzing it. Click here to read this month’s CST Applied analysis in full, or scroll down for an abbreviated version.
Coming up at Catholic Conscience
NEXT WEBINAR IN THE BEAUTY OF CREATION SERIES: Join our conversation on Thursday, December 16 with Professor Sonsoles de Lacalle, who will share with us the dialogue between science and the Catholic intellectual tradition on the nature of the human person, including on gender, sexuality, and identity. For your free ticket and Zoom link, click here to register.
ARE YOU CONSIDERING PUTTING YOUR NAME FORWARD TO BECOME A CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE IN NEXT YEAR’S ONTARIO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS? If so, send our executive director an email at brendan@catholicconscience.org. We are organizing a special edition of our Catholic Leaders Mission program to offer formation and discernment for those seeking election as a trustee in 2022. If you are considering this opportunity or know someone who is, please reach out. We will be announcing full program details soon.
Parliament Brief
In this new, monthly feature, we will share with you a summary of one Bill currently being considered by a Canadian parliament and the dialogue around that Bill: its purpose, a short summary of the views of its proponents and opponents, and what elements of Catholic social teaching might be utilized to shed light on the proposal. A condensed summary will be offered in our newsletter. You can visit our website for the full brief.
BILL C-6: ON CONVERSION THERAPY
Where? Canada’s federal Parliament.
What? Bill C-6 would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit certain activities relating to conversion therapy, which the bill defines as a practice, treatment or service designed to change an individual’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender or to reduce non-heterosexual sexual attraction or sexual behaviour.
How? The Bill would enact new offences to prohibit activities such as causing an individual to undergo conversion therapy against their will.
Why?Proponents of the bill maintain that conversion therapy is a harmful practice which should be criminal, and see the practices associated with conversion therapy treating LGBT people as deficient and in need of repair, and therefore contrary to their dignity.
What do opponents say? The bill’s critics generally do not take issue with the objective of criminalizing harmful and coercive conversion therapy. The critics maintain, however, that the definition of conversion therapy employed by the bill is so broad and inaccurate that it is in danger of capturing scenarios which do not fairly constitute conversion therapy.
A Catholic social teaching consideration:Men and women with homosexual tendencies must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #358).
(Painting: The Nickel Belt by Franklin Carmichael)
Here are three news items for you to ponder as a Catholic:
CATHOLIC ACTION OUT OF COP26: The COP26 conference just concluded in Glasgow, where nations gathered to negotiate continued action in the face of climate change. Several of those involved have expressed disappointment at the lack of clear commitments at the conference: “At the end of two weeks of declarations, negotiations and protests, the COP26 United Nations climate summit in Glasgow produced a set of vaguely worded commitments that would allow the globe to heat up 2.4 degrees. An effort to ‘consign coal to history’ led by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson failed to sign on Australia, China, India and the United States, who together represent 70 per cent of the world’s coal consumption.” Yet Catholic civic leaders like Catholic Conscience advisor Agnes Richard see signs of hope: “Richard and the Laudato Si’ Movement around the world are going to be urging Catholic institutions and dioceses to sign onto the Laudato Si’ Action Platform — a Vatican-sponsored effort to get everything from parishes to Catholic hospitals to line up their investments, buildings, employment practices and purchasing policies with the values and objectives of Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical… ‘When we ask our leaders for something, we must be prepared to say, ‘And this is what we’re going to do,’ Richard said. ‘We must live like we believe that God created the world and it is very good.’”
A point to ponder: In Laudato si’ (208), Pope Francis writes that “We are always capable of going out of ourselves towards the other. Unless we do this, other creatures will not be recognized for their true worth; we are unconcerned about caring for things for the sake of others; we fail to set limits on ourselves to avoid the suffering of others or the deterioration of our surroundings. Disinterested concern for others, and the rejection of every form of self-centeredness and self-absorption, are essential if we truly wish to care for our brothers and sisters and for the natural environment.” In our own approaches to our relationship with the natural environment—at home, at work, in our parishes, in our communities—do we take care for the sake of others, or do we pursue self-interested actions? Can we use the Laudato si’ Action Platform to discern new ways forward that recognize the sacred dignity and value of the world we inhabit and the people who are our neighbours? For inspiration, consider the case of this Catholic school in London, Ontario—the first in the country to go carbon-neutral.
FORMER GOVERNOR GENERAL LAUDS VOLUNTEERISM: At the 20th anniversary celebration of Cardus, a Canadian Christian think tank, former Governor General David Johnston argued that the strength of any community is found in its commitment to volunteerism: “I would extrapolate to say that if you to wish to judge the health of a community, calculate the number of volunteers per capita,” he said. “If it is up, so is the community. If it is down, so is that community.”
A point to ponder: The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (419-420) says that “The activities of civil society — above all volunteer organizations and cooperative endeavours in the private-social sector, all of which are succinctly known as the ‘third sector’, to distinguish from the State and the market — represent the most appropriate ways to develop the social dimension of the person, who finds in these activities the necessary space to express himself fully… The relationships that are established in a climate of cooperation and solidarity overcome ideological divisions, prompting people to seek out what unites them rather than what divides them. Many experiences of volunteer work are examples of great value that call people to look upon civil society as a place where it is possible to rebuild a public ethic based on solidarity, concrete cooperation and fraternal dialogue.” Reading this, and reflecting on Johnston’s argument, is it concerning to consider that rates of volunteerism have been declining in Canada for several years, and have been severely reduced in the pandemic? What do the institutions of society, including communities, charities, governments, businesses, and others do to encourage individuals to give of themselves generously?
A PENITENT POPE WILL BE COMING TO A WOUNDED NATION: In the B.C. Catholic, Michael Swan writes about the coming papal visit to Canada for the purposes of expressing contrition to and solidarity with Canada’s First Nations for residential schools and other sins. “This is a different Pope,” points out Canadian Catholic scholar Michael Higgins. “And of course the reason for his coming is different. He’s coming as a penitent. There’s no triumphalism this time. He’s coming to a bruised Church. He’s coming to, in many ways, an angry Church. There are many Catholics who are upset by what has happened. So, he’s coming to a wounded nation.”
A point to ponder: In Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis writes that “Negotiation often becomes necessary for shaping concrete paths to peace. Yet the processes of change that lead to lasting peace are crafted above all by peoples; each individual can act as an effective leaven by the way he or she lives each day. Great changes are not produced behind desks or in offices. This means that ‘everyone has a fundamental role to play in a single great creative project: to write a new page of history, a page full of hope, peace and reconciliation.’ How can you contribute to peace and reconciliation between Canadians and our First Nations? Is there a local First Nations community in your area? How does your municipal, provincial, and federal governments form a relationship with that First Nation? Can the relationship be improved? What projects exist in the community that you could contribute to, to work together in building that relationship?
Catholic Social Teaching, Applied
(Painting: The Good Samaritan by Vincent Van Gogh)
While honouring two journalists who have worked at the Vatican for more than four decades, Pope Francis lauded the journalistic vocation and offered his wisdom for journalists today. His tips for media included:
“Your mission is to explain the world, to make it less obscure, to make those who live in it less afraid and to look at others with greater awareness.”
“Journalists [should be] willing to ‘wear out the soles of their shoes,’ to get out of the newsroom, to walk around the city, to meet people, to assess the situations in which we live in our time.”
To report or recount what has happened and why, the pope said, journalists should not make themselves the star of the story or the judge of an event, but they do have to allow themselves “to be struck and sometimes wounded” by the stories they encounter.
Pope Francis also asked reporters to remember that “the church is not a political organization with left- and right-wingers, as is the case in parliaments. At times, unfortunately, our considerations are reduced to this, with some root in reality. But no, the church is not this.”
OUR ANALYSIS:
CST VALUE: TRUTH
Brendan: The Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching (198) reads, Men and women have the specific duty to move always towards the truth, to respect it and bear responsible witness to it. Living in the truth has special significance in social relationships. In fact, when the coexistence of human beings within a community is founded on truth, it is ordered and fruitful, and it corresponds to their dignity as persons. The more people and social groups strive to resolve social problems according to the truth, the more they distance themselves from abuses and act in accordance with the objective demands of morality. The Pope’s “tips” for journalists bring to life this idea of truth as foundational to the proper ordering of the community.
A community founded in truth is fruitful. Media well-rooted in its vocation is oriented towards truth. Media’s unveiling of truth makes the world less obscure, in the Pope’s words, which means we as citizens can approach the world “less afraid” (more capable of living out the theological virtue of hope!) and thus approach our neighbours with greater openness and awareness. In this vision, media’s vocation of speaking truth makes possible charitable engagement with our fellow citizens. What a powerful vocation, so central to a functioning and loving society.
But we face a unique challenge these days: so many different “media” sources, many ideological, many of which reject the full dignity of their neighbours, many of which obscure the truth and instead promote distortions and dehumanization, many of which speak without accountability or reasonable norms, promote fear, and in turn harm awareness of and authentic connection to our neighbours. We face a real challenge when media moves away from their core vocation. Social disunity and damage results.
Matthew: Truth is a central theme for Pope Francis, as it has been for many popes before him, and for the founders of virtually all democracies. The importance of truth bobs up many times in his plea for dialogue in Fratelli tutti:
Some people attempt to flee from reality, taking refuge in their own little world; others react to it with destructive violence. Yet “between selfish indifference and violent protest there is always another possible option: that of dialogue. Dialogue between generations; dialogue among our people, for we are that people; readiness to give and receive, while remaining open to the truth. A country flourishes when constructive dialogue occurs between its many rich cultural components…
Dialogue is often confused with something quite different: the feverish exchange of opinions on social networks, frequently based on media information that is not always reliable. These exchanges are merely parallel monologues… Indeed, the media’s noisy potpourri of facts and opinions is often an obstacle to dialogue, since it lets everyone cling stubbornly to his or her own ideas, interests and choices, with the excuse that everyone else is wrong. It becomes easier to discredit and insult opponents from the outset than to open a respectful dialogue aimed at achieving agreement on a deeper level. Worse, this kind of language, usually drawn from media coverage of political campaigns, has become so widespread as to be part of daily conversation. Discussion is often manipulated by powerful special interests that seek to tilt public opinion unfairly in their favour.
Lack of dialogue means that in these individual sectors people are concerned not for the common good, but for the benefits of power or, at best, for ways to impose their own ideas…
The heroes of the future will be those who can break with this unhealthy mindset and determine respectfully to promote truthfulness, aside from personal interest. God willing, such heroes are quietly emerging, even now, in the midst of our society. (Fratelli tutti 199-201)
POINTS TO PONDER:
How do we encourage “celebrity journalists” to engage in real dialogue (not just debate!) with each other—breaking out of ideological siloes—but also with the experiences of those whose human dignity and lived injustices might persuade them towards more humane approaches? Is there anything we, personally, can do?
How do we educate young journalists and journalism students in a culture of “wearing out their shoes,” instead of depending so much on social media culture and commentary as today’s generation of journalists often do?
At a time when truth is so obscured because of ideology, lack of clarity, divisive media, a sinful desire to have our own ideas affirmed rather than challenged by the experiences of others, a rejection of Church teachings, etc, how do we re-center truth back into our understanding of what it means to build a charitable and just society?
How do we encourage media organizations that obscure truth and have lost sight of their vocation to reorient themselves back towards their critical role? How do we encourage media organizations that have already devoted themselves to balanced, truthful, and responsible reporting practices?
(Painting: The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple by William Holman Holt)
A PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH As we approach the end of the Year of Saint Joseph, Pope Francis has begun a new series of reflections on the foster father of Jesus. His first reflection included this new prayer to Saint Joseph, written by the Holy Father himself:
Saint Joseph, you who always trusted God, and made your choices guided by His providence teach us not to count so much on our own plans but on His plan of love. You who come from the peripheries help us to convert our gaze and to prefer what the world discards and marginalises. Comfort those who feel alone and support those who work silently to defend life and human dignity. Amen.
