Monday, February 03, 2014

UPDATED: Just For The Record, Canadian Bishops Regularly Get Involved In Political Activism


From the (Canadian) Catholic Register:

OTTAWA - The Canadian government should urge Israel to stop construction of a section of its security wall that threatens the livelihood of 58 Christian families and a Catholic religious order, said the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in a letter to Canada's foreign affairs minister.


(Gatineau Archbishop Paul-AndrĂ© Durocher, CCCB president)…recently participated, along with several other bishops from around the world, in a tour of the affected area. The matter is urgent, he said, because the Supreme Court of Israel has begun hearings on the legality of the Cremisan Valley wall. The Cremisan Valley is located on the Palestinian side of the so-called Green Line, the pre-1967 demarcation line separating Israel from Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. It is currently part of the lands occupied by Israel.

This story indicates that no individual or group was in imminent danger of life or limb. However, a number of Christian families and a Catholic religious order were likely to be seriously disturbed. It appears that Archbishop Durocher toured this Middle East site with other Bishops from around the world so there was significant attention paid to this concern. The Bishops apparently “believe the wall as planned will only deepen the wounds between Palestinians and Israelis.”

Fair enough. It seems like a “social justice” matter and we should always try to address these issues as they arise and ensure the best outcomes for our fellow man. Logically, I think we could all agree that addressing social justice issues would demand of our Bishops some mechanism respecting proportionality and priority

Is it right for Catholic Bishops to wade into political waters and exert their influence? You bet.

So currently, should the Canadian Bishops be preoccupied with any other urgent social justice initiatives?

UPDATE: 

January 2, 2014


 

April 8, 2014




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