Thursday, August 27, 2015

Explosive Letter From LifeSiteNews Details Betrayal By Canadian Catholic Bishops UPDATED

See UPDATE at end of this posting


Vox Cantoris offends, then offers apology in response to a letter from Steve Jalsevac of LifeSiteNews.

No doubt Campaign Life Coalition and LifeSiteNews have done a tremendous amount of good over the years in their efforts to defend unborn children against the scourge of abortion. But I have observed on a few occasions that they try too hard to stay in the good graces of the very people (the Catholic Bishops) they criticize behind the scenes, as this letter below illustrates. Too often they actually avoid saying the things that need to be said to (or about) Bishops.

That's why the letter that was sent to David Domet will be a great shock to many pro-life people and perhaps especially to faithful Catholics, many of whom believe their Catholic leaders are adamantly opposed to evils like abortion, etc. and are doing all they can to deal with the problem.

The question is, why hasn't LifeSiteNews come clean on this epic scandal before now? Why haven't they shared the more intimate details of the decades old betrayal by Catholic Bishops? Why do we poor readers have to work so hard to get these kinds of plain historical facts about our own Bishops? I've criticized pro-life leaders in Canada on a number of occasions for their timidity in calling out unfaithful Bishops, which pretty much takes in almost 100% of the Canadian episcopate. Sometimes it seems that our pro-life leaders heap honours upon Bishops who give a mere semblance of orthodoxy by showing up at things like pro-life marches, yet throughout the year facilitate the culture of death. Is that the way to win the battle against abortion and to defend the teachings of Holy Mother Church?

And then there were the times when yours truly was really trying hard to fight just that kind of battle myself, putting everything on the line, and then getting persecuted and attacked for it. Was LifeSiteNews aware of my circumstances and the outrageous treatment I received? Yes. Did they write one word of news reporting to share my difficulties with the wider pro-life community in Canada and to expose our sick culture? No. Even after requests by me to bring these reprehensible incidents to light? No they didn't. Did they even shy away from opportunities to hold Catholic Bishops accountable for their reprehensible silence in some of these scandalous situations? Yes they did. My blog postings over the last couple years tell the further story.

You get the picture. But why would they take such an approach towards a fellow pro-life warrior? Your guess may be as good as mine but at least I'll venture a guess since this is the first time I've disclosed such sad history on this blog. Was it because at times I've been critical of pro-life leadership in Canada (and rightly so, I believe)? I headed up a national pro-life initiative which called out Bishops rather severely at times (again, it was necessary). Perhaps the top brass at LifeSite wanted to distance themselves from such a "radical" pro-lifer. Perhaps they saw me as competition in some sense, someone who didn't tow their line (which makes their actions seem like petty rivalry). Well there you have it. That's my best guess.

But the point is that something DOES need to change at the highest levels of the pro-life movement in Canada. David at Vox Cantoris maybe did not accurately point out what needs to change. But nevertheless, after reading the letter from Steve Jalsevac, I believe a good many more people will agree with me that pro-life tactics definitely DO NEED TO CHANGE in Canada. The indisputable fact is that Catholic Bishops need to be held accountable (yes, charitably, of course) and BY NAME, EACH and EVERY time they fail in their duties to defend the truth of the Catholic faith and particularly as it concerns Life and the Family issues. They need to be put under the microscope at all times and made to feel it. We are losing Canada because the demons have been let loose and Catholic Bishops--who are the only ones with authority to cast them out--are off in their ivory towers with doors locked or, worse still, actively assisting the enemy.

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Letter to David Domet from LifeSiteNews:


David, your evaluation of past pro-life efforts is distressingly uninformed. The view from the inside of Campaign Life Coalition and other groups is vastly different than the brutally harmful, inaccurate history that you present. The claim that the movement "has taken an "all or nothing" approach" generates a fury within me because some may actually believe that falsehood (I don't say it is intentional).

Unless you were right there with us you cannot understand all that was attempted and the devastating repeat betrayals, and destructive Catholic and other opposition and extreme disappointments that were experienced by the pro-life movement in this nation.

The situation in Canada is dramatically different politically, legally, religiously and culturally from the United States. So don't look to the US and say, if they did it there it should also have worked here. Some things did, but many did not simply because it was Canada. We have tried just about every US strategy and also developed our own unique approaches. As well, the US successes have been exaggerated. Sure they elected many pro-lifers and were thankfully able to pass a large amount of incremental legislation, but abortion is still very common in the US. Abortion stats are still huge every year. The culture of death is far from being ended, We are, however, much encouraged by the recent video exposes of Planned Parenthood and the strong pro-life calibre of many of the Republican leadership candidates.

Just try to get a Canadian pro-lifer nominated in Canada. The nomination wars are dirtier in Canada with the parties being tyrannical and blind to nomination rules when they have certain candidates that they want to be the nominee, which have never been pro-life. The Canadian political system is more amenable to tyrants than the US system with its stronger democratic traditions and checks and balances. However, freedom has deteriorated in the US under the Obama administration.

To state that incremental measures were not attempted betrays profound lack of awareness of what actually did take place. I myself was in a leadership position during attempts to gain some of the incremental advances (conscience legislation, defunding, parental rights) introduced. Exhausting work was put into consulting with MPs and MPPs and experts, preparing documents and legislative proposals and more, but with the mostly consistent result of the power elites ruthlessly shutting us down before we barely got to stage one or past the first vote. And of course you must be aware of Stephen Harper’s constant blocking of any chance of success of even the most reasonable incremental measures that the public overwhelmingly would support.

As you well know, there has been no religious leadership anywhere in Canada comparable to that in some quarters in the United States. In fact, terribly damaging, behind the scenes and also deliberate undermining of our efforts by Canadian bishops and the CCCB are one of the great scandals in the Church in Canada. The Catholic Church has far more influence in Canada than in the United States because Catholicism is the dominant Christian religion here.

As the result of a massive (that is no exaggeration), united effort by all the major pro-life organizations in Canada, we were extremely close to winning  protection for the unborn in the Charter of rights. However, this was suddenly lost at the last minute because of Cardinal Carter's betrayal via a secret agreement with Pierre Trudeau that ensured public funding for Ontario Catholic Schools. We were devastated by Carter's betrayal. Grown leaders were in tears.

The omnibus bill that legalized abortion, divorce and more in Canada was quietly given approval to John Turner in a private meeting with the CCCB  executive before the vote while the pro-life movement across the nation was vigorously opposing the bill. It was years before we learned of this betrayal.

The CCCB seriously undermined the huge, united effort of the entire Canadian pro-life movement to pass the motion proposed by MP Gus Mitges to amend the Charter to include the unborn, which had a good chance of succeeding.

The CCCB also actively undermined the efforts of the pro-life movement to defeat the Reproductive Issues Bill C-13 because of serious flaws in the bill.

It took several years for more than one retired bishop to come to the March for Life in Ottawa. Distributing flyers simply noting the positions of the various local candidates on the life and family issues is almost universally forbidden by bishops in Canada, whereas such distribution is very common and encouraged in many dioceses in the United States. So a crippling handicap that the Canadian pro-life movement has had all along has been roadblocks put in our way to prevent the most natural pro-life voting base from becoming well informed at election or even nomination times. Worse, most of the bishops have been strong Liberal Party or NDP supporters, no matter what the position of the candidate on the life issues.

It was Catholics who supported and elected lesbian Kathleen Wynne as an MPP. Friar Rick of St. Bonaventure's parish took her around door to door to homes in his riding promoting her election.
The Canadian media, political and religious culture is far more ideologically uniform than in the US which encourages a greater diversity of views. In Canada, rocking the boat of the established consensus is greatly frowned upon. Lukewarmness is considered a virtue that must be enforced.
Opposition to aborted baby photos is stronger in Canada. The United States has nothing like the enormous, negative influence of Quebec on religion and politics on the entire nation. The majority of PMs since the 60s have been Quebecers - a province of mostly faithless, rebellious, former Catholics who despise Christian morality. Thankfully, there were a good number of wonderful bishop appointments in the province under Benedict. But change will take a long time.

There was a pro-life caucus in the Harris government, but it was essentially shut down by the premier and his thugs. What was done to MPP Jim Brown who worked closely with us on a proposed conscience protection bill, and more, was like something out of a Mafia movie. That very good man was crucified by the party leadership simply for acting according to his conscience and they made him a nervous wreck who forever left politics. Harris welcomed gay activist Jaime Watt into his inner circle and from then on all pro-life, pro-family efforts were toast. A gay activist was appointed to head the Human Rights Commission and the Harris government, more than any other in the nation, led the way to eventual federal passage of same-sex "marriage;.

We worked very closely with the PC Family Issues Caucus and Ontario MPP Frank Klees to pass his parental rights on health care Bill 91 which would simply have required that parents be advised of health care treatments planned for their children. The bill was supported by 34 Tory backbenchers from the PC “family issues caucus". But Mike Harris and his cabinet thugs betrayed their own caucus members and joined with the opposition to vote against and defeat the bill. See my report card on the Harris government. http://www.theinterim.com/issues/abortion/ontario-tories-have-dismal-record-on-life-issues/

I have shown you only a tiny snapshot of all that was attempted over many years. Your readers deserve more than your personal opinion, limited by your own experiences within the political system and all the whispers and lies that occur in that environment, in order to accurately make their own evaluations of what took place in the past and what should be done now.

Sorry to be so intense about this, but your comments were so far from the truth (I don't doubt the goodwill in them) and potentially damaging to the good reputations of some of the most dedicated and selfless people I have known in my life, that I felt I had no choice but to respond. These kinds of comments have been going around for years from one person to another and I can tell you that they serve no good purpose at all, other than to cause more harmful division and confusion.

Steve Jalsevac
LifeSiteNews

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UPDATE:

Great posting by Lea Singh at Culture Witness builds on this story and illuminates with her personal experience while working at the CCCB! Must read. Her conclusion:

Canadians deserve to know the whole truth. The Church has been notoriously and shamefully weak and quiet in this country, even as many Christian aspects of our culture have crumbled into smithereens. Yet the vast majority of Canadians would surely be shocked to discover the extent of the Church's failures of the pro-life movement.

A book on this topic would be explosive. And the public scrutiny and outrage that would be unleashed by this book might act as the Church's last-ditch defibrillator.

Just maybe, it could provoke the kind of change that is desperately needed in the Church especially now, as our culture sails full-speed into the uncharted seas of unlimited sexual license and complete commodifiaction of human life.


Saturday, August 22, 2015

Canada's Favorite "ProLife" Bishops Endorse Failed CCCB Election Guide

In my last posting I lamented that Canada’s Catholic Bishops were seriously downplaying many evils—chiefly abortion—touching Canadian society through the very vague and lukewarm document recently released by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Other prolife and faithful Catholics have also weighed in on that subject with valuable insight, exposing just how seriously deficient the CCCB Guide really is and pointing out the most egregious omission: cogent voting advice to ensure pro-abortion politicians do not gain power. The peculiar thing is that even those Bishops who are the honoured “champions” of the prolife movement seem to be quite content with promoting the CCCB Election Guide without further commentary or supplementary resources.

Of course they could take the time to add their own versions of a voting guide if they chose to, since each has full apostolic authority in their own diocese, but as I have noted on other occasions, the last thing any Canadian Bishop will think about doing is breaking ranks with their (liberal) brother Bishops who completely set the pace of downward slide, even at the risk of the destruction of souls.

Therefore take note that “prolife” Cardinal Collins of Toronto and “prolife” Archbishop Prendergast of Ottawa, as well as “prolife” Bishop Henry of Calgary, are each featuring prominent links on diocesan websites to the CCCB Election Guide, without urgently needed qualification and supplementation:




It defies imagination that any Catholic heartbroken over the destruction of 100,000 children annually could not muster a more serious strategy to defeat the culture of death in Canada: a most pitiful and outrageous effort by the most “prolife” Bishops of Canada…to say nothing of a failure to mention other very evil and dangerous trends, such as gender ideology, surfacing at the highest political levels, and which demand urgent address. Yet all we hear is a deathly silence.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Canada's Catholic Bishops Downplay Evil In Election Guide UPDATED



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Canadian Bishops Go Green

Their new federal election guide devotes more time to environmental reform than to saving the unborn


OTTAWA, August 19, 2015 (ChurchMilitant.com) - Canada's bishops have issued an election guide that devotes more time to environmental concerns than it does to protection of the unborn.

Issued this month by the Episcopal Commission on Peace and Justice, a national commission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), the document purports to provide guidance to lay faithful on how to vote for politicians. Most striking is that the guide only devotes a single line to fighting for the lives of the preborn (which are killed to the tune of at least 65,000 per year in a country with the laxest abortion laws in the world), while devoting multiple admonitions on immigrants' and workers' rights as well as an entire section on the environment.

The first section, titled "Respect for life and human dignity: from conception to natural death," offers examples of what the bishops deem essential to "choosing life." The right to life of "the human embryo and the foetus" is one duty on the list, along with the obligation to fight capital punishment and poverty, among other things. The guide fails to list a hierarchy of duties by priority, and gives the impression that fighting poverty is equal in importance to fighting abortion.

This is problematic, as it represents the seamless garment theory — a notion coined by Chicago cardinal Joseph Bernardin that equates the importance of protecting the unborn with fighting poverty, hunger, oppression, capital punishment and the like. The Catholic Church has always held, however, that abortion is an intrinsic evil and can never be justified, whereas capital punishment can be justly applied in some circumstances, and therefore cannot rank in level of gravity as the crime of abortion. 

Monday, August 17, 2015

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Statement From The Archdiocese of Toronto Regarding Father John Duffy

Further to my previous posting on Father Duffy, I have found a little more information to share but serious questions still remain. The Archdiocese of Toronto issued a statement dated July 18, 2015 which was subsequently read out to the parishioners of Father Duffy`s former parish, Sacred Heart Parish. The text of the Statement reads:

Archdiocese of Toronto

Catholic Pastoral Centre
1155 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario M4T 1W2
T 416.934.0606
www.archtoronto.org

July 18, 2015

Statement from the Archdiocese of Toronto re: Sacred Heart Parish, Uxbridge

Over the past several years the Archdiocese of Toronto has been working closely with Fr. John Duffy to address a number of issues concerning his responsibilities as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. We have also been deeply concerned about his personal health and well-being.

After numerous discussions, Fr. Duffy commenced civil litigation against Cardinal Thomas Collins. After mediation involving a retired Superior Court of Ontario judge and legal counsel, Fr. Duffy decided to retire from active ministry, effective July 13, 2015.

We are working with Fr. Duffy to provide the financial and pastoral support he needs. We are grateful for his many contributions both to the Sacred Heart community and in his previous assignments.

Fr. Joseph Rodrigues has been appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and will arrive this week to begin serving the faithful. We pray that he will be welcomed with open arms.

We extend our thanks to the parishioners of Sacred Heart for your ongoing support and engagement in your faith community. We pray for Fr. Duffy and Fr. Rodrigues with the hope and prayer that your parish will continue to serve as a beacon of faith, hope and love to all.

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There is an online petition published on behalf of Father Duffy and a great number of persons have left comments. A remarkable show of support for Father Duffy, as well as shock for the circumstances, is evidenced in these comments. They are nearly unanimous in their very high praise for their priest`s service and influence in their lives. It does leave one to wonder what could possibly have taken place on such a secret level for so long in Father Duffy`s life that virtually nobody as close to him as those who left comments would have suspected the very grave action taken by the Archdiocese. 

The Archdiocese claims that Fr. Duffy decided to retire from active ministry but Fr. Duffy`s final sermon as well as the online petition paints the picture that he was suspended from ministry by the Archdiocese. In fact the spokesperson at Sacred Heart Parish confirmed to me that Father Duffy has been suspended with loss of faculties. My understanding is that except for behaviour that is a cause of very serious scandal it is normally very difficult for a Bishop to suspend or “laicize” a priest, even if he wants to. Conversely, we know how much hell can be raised if a Bishop supports his priest and sticks with him through thick and thin.

Also my understanding is that in cases such as this if the priest contests the Bishop`s actions and appeals his suspension, the execution of the penalty is suspended until such time as the Vatican has made a decision on the matter, i.e. Fr. Duffy should still be serving his parish until the Vatican rules on the matter.

To be clear, this is only conjecture on my part on the basis of readily available information on the internet regarding canon law. I called the Archdiocese for further details on the matter but they declined to give further info and suggested I call Sacred Heart Parish.


Monday, August 10, 2015

What Has God Done With The Souls Of Countless Aborted Babies?

Father Paul Nicholson draws on the words of Jesus and other insights from the Holy Scriptures to plumb the depths of this question. His judgment is sobering indeed.

Sunday, August 09, 2015

Is Cardinal Thomas Collins Responsible For "Unholy" Suspension Of Father John Duffy?

Everything I post (aside from a few of my comments which follow) is available from a simple Google search under the terms "Father John Duffy Uxbridge." I also share the contents of a forwarded email from what appears to be two of Father Duffy's parishioners (or friends) who sought out support for Father in his difficult circumstances.

I make no judgment in this matter and the title of my posting is simply a reflexive action which I hope might better contribute to the emergence of the truth in the matter of Father John Duffy's suspension.

Why do I frame my posting in such a controversial fashion?  Simply because I have seen too many priests who have a deliberate bent to "Tradition" and the authentic teachings of Holy Mother Church come under fire by their superiors and end up severely damaged by a campaign of persecution from the Chancery, in much the same way as Fr. Duffy has described. In fact I do not find it much of a stretch at all to believe Father Duffy's description of the events. I believe that Father Duffy's case needs to come out into the disinfecting power of sunlight and remain there until all parties (yes, including the laity. We have a right to know) are reasonably satisfied that justice is properly served in this unfolding tragedy.

Father Duffy has made some very serious charges indeed against the Archdiocese. I do not see that his suspension could have come about without the nod of Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins. To avoid all possibility of scandal the Archdiocese needs to specifically address the substance of Father's charges and add whatever details it can to justify its decision to suspend this priest. Is that really too much to ask? After all, Fr. Duffy has been a priest for over 20 years.

Please note that I do not know Father Duffy personally and  I have never met him. All information I know of him I have found either online or from others that speak highly of him. I do know another priest who likewise believes that the Archdiocese tried to short circuit his priestly path due to his outspoken ways in regard to traditional Catholic teaching and what he felt was his responsibility to address scandalous situations. He was, however, not suspended as was Father Duffy.

Feel free to leave a comment if you think it may lead to a positive outcome. And please keep all parties involved in this contest actively in your prayers until a happier outcome is achieved.

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Forwarded email


This Is A Very Very Very Sad Day For Our Church!!! 

We NEED PRIESTS - GOOD PRIESTS and here we have lost one because of EVIL!

Father had the courage to STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH and the LIES have taken him down...BUT as in all things we know who will win!

PLEASE PRAY AND REMEMBER Fr. Duffy during this very difficult time! 

God Bless. 

------Begin forwarded message:

Please pray for my dear friend Fr. John Duffy who has been unjustly suspended by the Archdiocese of Toronto; yes that is the same Archdiocese who we have not heard a single word from concerning the evil sex education that is now in full force.  I find it interesting that this diocese has time to make a video asking for money to support a family faith campaign (!!!) yet our children's souls are now in the hands of a satanic curriculum.  Well folks this is the same archdiocese who has suspended a faithful, true, kind, generous, hardworking holy Priest who has always defended and upheld the Truth of Jesus Christ and Catholic traditions and beliefs.  Please express your thoughts to the diocese in support of Fr. John Duffy who has given over 23 years of his life to the Priesthood.  Our Priests are under attack and they desperately need our prayers to stay strong against the current winds of evil which we see becoming more and more apparent in our world today. 
In Christ,
        (name redacted)

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From an online petition in support of Father Duffy...

August 8, 2015

Dear Friends of Father John Duffy

We have known and loved Father John for many years. We are fully aware of how Fr. John has dedicated his priestly life to serving his congregations in a selfless manner for the 23 years of his priestly vocation.

Fr. John has never failed to comfort, help, encourage and support young and old alike through the Holy Sacraments and through his friendship at any hour of the day.

You can find many wonderful testimonials about Fr. John when you read the comments people have posted on this website.

Fr. John has NOT RESIGNED from the priesthood and he left Sacred Heart under extreme duress.

Fr. John received verbal communication that he was to vacate Sacred Heart parish forthwith.

Fr. John if need be, will defend himself under the tenets of Canon (Church) Law, if he must do so, which is in fact the correct procedure for a priest to follow.

When you read Fr. John’s final sermon (see below) to his beloved Sacred Heart parishioners, it will become clear that he desperately needs our FINANCIAL and SPIRITUAL support.

Please help us support Fr. John in his time of great need, as he has done for us.

Text of Father John’s last address to the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish:


With a broken-heart, I must announce to you that this is the last Mass I will celebrate in my life.

Effective 4:00 pm tomorrow, Monday 13 July 2015, I will be suspended by the Archdiocese of Toronto. "Suspension" is the most serious of penalties a priest can receive in the law of the Catholic Church. "Suspension" is a penalty that is typically given to pedophiles and other types of criminals. I am being “suspended” for hiring a civil lawyer to seek redress for grave injustices done to me.

Nobody in the Archdiocese of Toronto would help me.

How did this all happen?

Two and a half years ago, I found myself in need of appealing to the Archdiocese of Toronto for their help regarding a group of parishioners who were spreading the most unspeakable gossip possible against me. Without going into horrible detail, the object of these slanderous parishioners was to have me removed from the parish. As this most wicked slander continued for four years, my health was affected significantly.

Yet, when I asked for a "lawyer's letter" to be sent from the Archdiocese of Toronto to the person who started the worst of this most unspeakable slander, they refused - and I was shocked by their lack of care and concern. The Archdiocese of Toronto is loathe to send a "lawyer's letter" to the laity as they are terrified of the public. Very disappointingly, priests, on the other hand, are disenfranchised - and are not a threat to them. The senior ecclesiastic, who refused to have a lawyer's letter sent to the most vicious of the slanderers, said to me; "The squeaky wheel gets the oil". That is to say, the formation of policy in the Archdiocese of Toronto is based on expedience - and not the norms of Christ's Gospel.

When I pushed the matter further, I was aggressively threatened by men who were supposed to be my spiritual fathers. Nobody in the Catholic Church would help defend my good name, nor assist me in my efforts to govern and unify our Parish. Therefore, I was forced to seek out the services of a civil litigation lawyer to fight for my cause, namely my honour and good name - and for the good of our Parish.

I have been fighting for redress regarding these matters for the last two years. I am sorry that I kept this matter a secret - and certainly didn't think that obtaining justice would be delayed and dragged-on for this long. In May of this year, the Archdiocese of Toronto stated that they wanted this matter "resolved sooner than later". As my health and financial resources were exhausted, I felt relief and hope that justice would finally be served.

Last Monday, 6 July 2015, was the day arranged for the Archdiocese of Toronto to "mediate" for a "solution". I felt relieved and hopeful. When I arrived at the "mediation", I had the sinking feeling that the matter was "pre-determined". Rather than receiving justice, I was merely informed that I was "suspended" for life - yet I would receive a few shekels in return for keeping my mouth shut. I felt like I was all alone in the room - and had no recourse.

I felt forcefully coerced- telling me to sign a "document of discretion" whereby I would be "muzzled", that is, no longer able to defend myself and my honour. Yet, the "document of discretion" stated that the Archdiocese of Toronto would be allowed to "retain the exclusive right" to publish "whatever they deem to be the reason for Duffy's suspension". Though I am not a lawyer, something in my soul told me that, as well as being grossly unjust, there was something unholy about the "offer" from the Archdiocese of Toronto.

As well, the Archdiocese of Toronto threatened me - saying that if I "broke discretion" they would cut-off the few shekels offered me, and demand that I return whatever was given me in the past. I was threatened that if I refused the "offer" made to me, a pittance that would leave me starving in the street, I would be told to get out of my Parish, put on the street, receive nothing at all. I was filled with dread. Certainly, the suspension left me sickened the most. I felt hatred and evil in the "mediation" room towards myself. To add insult to injury, I was told that I was responsible for the legal fees - costs that have put me in great financial debt.

My efforts to reacquire my good name only resulted in my being stripped of my priesthood, my dignity, my good name, my home and parish, my financial credit - and what I cherished more than my very life... my honour. I politely left, but felt doomed. I refused to sign the "document of discretion". I will put my trust in the Lord, come what may.

Anyway, I could not leave without saying farewell to my parishioners! I hope that I have served you well over my six year tenure. As well, and at least, I will always have the consolation of knowing that I defended Christ's Church, speaking out publicly from this pulpit about corrupt politicians - and, yes, corrupt politicians in the Church who have acquiesced, capitulated and accepted teaching that will destroy the innocence of our children in our Catholic Schools - and religious - political careerists who, rather than vociferously and courageously lead, remain silent as pre-born children continue to be murdered.

I served Christ first !

As I say farewell, please pray for me, as I will for you, and - yes - I will pray daily for the lay people, priests and bishops that have worked so hard to destroy my good name - and my priesthood. In particular, I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of those who have faithfully supported me, aware of my situation, over these past years.

I love you all very much! Please continue to keep me in your good prayers - and also pray for our church fathers.

Farewell, my friends !


Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Cardinal Thomas Collins "Orthodox But Maybe Too Nice"?

Incoming Junior Bishop Collins 1997
It seems Cardinal Thomas Collins' reputation had preceded him when, in 1999 as St. Paul Bishop Thomas Collins, he was appointed to replace Edmonton's retiring Archbishop Joseph MacNeil. In a piece dated 03/08/99 and entitled "Orthodox but maybe too nice," Carla Yu, writing for the Alberta Report Newsmagazine, revealed, among other things, hopes expressed by the region's Catholics that the new Archbishop would reverse the decline in priestly candidates.

But what is actually revealed in that article speaks much more loudly to the current malaise of pseudo-catholicism in Toronto. Read the report below and ask yourself if the Cardinal is likely to have the fortitude and character necessary to stand up to the heretics and dissenters at the upcoming Synod on the Family. Can a leopard change its spots?

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Edmonton's New Catholic Archbishop May Disappoint Hopeful Conservatives

Observers of Roman Catholic politics say Pope John Paul II's greatest legacy may turn out to be his ability to shift the church back to its orthodox roots by appointing conservative bishops. So with the imminent retirement on April 15 of Edmonton Archbishop Joseph MacNeil, a man long identified with the liberal wing of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, conservatives anticipated it was their turn for a replacement more in tune with traditional beliefs and practices.

When the Pope announced on February 18 that he had appointed St. Paul Bishop Thomas Collins to replace Archbishop MacNeil, it appeared conservative prayers were answered. Known for his devotional life and orthodox convictions, Bishop Collins raised hopes among the capital region's 295,000 Catholics that he would reverse the decline in priestly candidates and thereby avoid Archbishop MacNeil's plan to close half of the area's 162 parishes and missions.

But old acquaintance David Curtin, a Toronto journalist who at seminary had Bishop Collins as a professor and spiritual director, warns Edmonton Catholics not to hope for too much. Bishop Collins is a great teacher and friend, Mr. Curtin says, but he has a history of accommodating the church's liberal wing.

Bishop Collins is well known in Canada as a teacher and scholar. The 52-year-old entered the priesthood in 1973. In 1986 he earned his theology doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome. He was rector of St. Peter's Seminary in London, Ont., prior to becoming bishop of St. Paul in 1997.

In his new responsibility Bishop Collins will be challenged to succeed where his predecessor has stalled. "Bishop Collins inherits a wonderful archdiocese," says Archbishop MacNeil. But he admits the priest shortage will be the new leader's greatest challenge. "We are reaching a point that's causing real concern," he says. "But if Jesus wants more priests, he will provide them."

Father Sylvain Casavan, a member of the Edmonton archdiocese vocations team, expects the new archbishop to take a less passive approach. "[Bishop Collins] said when he went to St. Paul that his goal was 50 new priests," he says. "I wouldn't mind seeing 50 candidates here, too."

Writing in the Catholic newsletter The Trumpet, editor and former Edmontonian Mark Toth warns that the new archbishop will also have to deal with the lack of leadership which has resulted in deterioration of Edmonton Catholic schools. "A whole generation of children attending Catholic schools has been deprived of their right to be instructed in their Catholic faith," he writes. "What a heavy burden for a bishop to have such a thing happen on his watch!"

For his part, Bishop Collins has indicated he is ready to deal with Edmonton's problems. He did not return calls from this magazine. But in an interview with the Western Catholic Reporter he said that in his view there are five to 10 people called to ministry in each parish who will respond positively if simply asked to consider the religious life. And through a series of Reporter articles on prayer, Bishop Collins has signalled that unlike his predecessor, who remained largely out of sight, he will focus his pastoral leadership on spiritual matters, and see and be seen.

Nevertheless, those who know Bishop Collins best question whether he is tough enough to force a new course in Edmonton. "He's a talented, prayerful and orthodox man," says journalist Curtin. "His fundamental theology course was the best in the seminary program."

But Mr. Curtin fears the new archbishop may not stand up to liberal dissenters in his new archdiocesan bureaucracy. "When I saw him exercise his authority most firmly," he says, "it was actually to clamp down on orthodox Catholics who were speaking out against real abuses." Mr. Curtin cites an example. "When the student liturgy committee passed a resolution against illicit, feminist changes in the Mass," he reports, "[Then Fr. Collins] overruled the resolution. The minutes of the meeting were recalled and all record of the resolution was erased."

Furthermore, Mr. Curtin reports, in 1995, when Cardinal Ratzinger said the church's teaching on women's ordination is infallible, some students wept openly, while others were gratified that the church had finally spoken definitively. "Fr. Collins' only public response," Mr. Curtin says, "was to issue an unprecedented condemnation of the 'triumphalistic' attitudes of the seminarians who were happy about the statement."

As a former seminarian, Mr. Curtin does not question his mentor's dedication to orthodox Catholic doctrine. "He seemed to understand the problems caused by heterodoxy in the church," says Mr. Curtin. "But when push came to shove, he resorted to platitudes about how dissenters 'mean well.' He seemed to think that effective intervention would do more harm than good."