Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In preparation for the upcoming provincial election, the Catholic Bishops of Alberta wish to encourage all members of the Church to engage in the electoral process. By means of this letter, we offer to our Catholic faithful a reminder of important principles and concerns, which stem from the social doctrine of the Church, to guide the discernment of choices that accord with the Gospel’s vision for the right ordering of society.

• We are one human family. Yet, in recent years especially, division has in many ways marred our common life. The Word of God calls us to see the other as our neighbour and pursue initiatives that promote justice among peoples. We look to our political representatives to work with us all as peacemakers in our communities, province, and nation.
  
  
• Seeking together the common good. Elected officials ensure the common good when they seek to create a human environment that enables citizens to exercise their rights and fulfill their corresponding duties. The Church, through Catholic education and healthcare, her parishes, and many charitable and social service works, seeks to promote the flourishing of a just and human society. Let us continue to advocate for the support of our Catholic institutions in their service of the common good.
  
  
• Freedom of conscience and religion. Conscience recognizes the obligation of every individual to seek the truth and live in accordance with it. Freedom of religion embraces not only the act of worship but also public witness to the truth as expressed in the tenets of faith. Those elected to govern must respect these liberties and uphold them.
  
  
• The dignity and sanctity of every human life. We expect elected officials to recognize and respect human dignity by defending and promoting inalienable rights. First among these, and foundational to all others, is the right to life from conception to natural death.
  
  
• Concern for poor and vulnerable persons. The litmus test for society’s moral health is the attention and care given to the needy among us. How do those seeking political office plan to address the serious matter of homelessness, for example, or what priority will be given to welcoming immigrants and refugees? How shall we offer care and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges or living with terminal and/or debilitating illnesses?
  
  
• Walking with the Indigenous Peoples. During his visit to Alberta in 2022, Pope Francis apologized for harms of the past, advocated for the rights of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples of this land, welcomed the wisdom of their traditions, and praised the beauty of their cultures. This election campaign period presents an opportunity to encourage those running for political office to join the walk with Indigenous Peoples along the pathway of truth, healing, justice, reconciliation, and hope.
  
  
• Care for God’s creation. Stewardship of our common home is a constitutive element of the Christian faith. The protection of both people and planet carries ethical demands that cannot be ignored. We are called to engage in dialogue with holders of political office on this important issue, and work with them to care for the world, which God has entrusted to us.
  
  

As Catholics, we have a moral obligation to be involved in the democratic process for the good of the human community. The considerations offered above can help each of us make voting choices that accord with our Catholic identity and moral values.

Please join with us in prayer for those elected to public office. They are assuming a heavy responsibility, often at great personal sacrifice. May they be granted the strength and wisdom to govern in accord with the precept of charity in service of the life and well-being of everyone.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Catholic Bishops of Alberta
Most Reverend Richard W. Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton
Most Reverend William McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
Most Reverend Gary Franken, Bishop of St. Paul
Most Reverend Gerard Pettipas CSsR, Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan
Most Reverend David Motiuk, Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton

• Download Letter in PDF
• Go To Catholic Conscience to compare party platforms
• Listen to Archbishop Smith’s podcast on How to Vote As a Catholic

Our lifestyle and choices affect other people and the environment. We do not live in isolation even when we think that we are making private, personal, and individual acts or decisions that do not involve others. Our action and inaction have consequences on others and the world around us.

As consumers in today’s world, it can be overwhelming to make purchasing decisions that have less of a negative impact on others and the environment, as it is not as simple as it seems. For example, not all recyclables are the same. Not everything labeled as “made from recyclable materials” is actually 100% made from recyclable materials as these materials degrade in quality over time. And just because it’s recyclable doesn’t mean it’s actually being recycled especially when these products do not make their way to the recycling facilities. Recycling materials also require so much energy to process that reusing might be a better alternative to recycling. Our heads spin… we can easily burn out and give up.
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In order to make good and responsible choices that support our lifestyle, it is beneficial to understand the concept of circular economy. Watch this six-minute video and learn to see beyond the products as you understand their life cycle and their impact on people and the environment. 

"Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value. Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry." Pope Francis, 2013. 

About 17 percent of global food production may go wasted, according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2021, with 61% of this waste coming from households, 26% from food service and 13% from retail. 

As a good steward of our resources, we are called to do our part to reduce food waste by being more conscious of our choices and actions. 

Seven quick reminders:

1. Plan meals and stick with your grocery list. Avoid getting carried away at Costco or big box stores.
2. Buy foods that are in season because they taste better, so you're more likely to finish them. 
3. Leaf to root eating. Try to consume all edible parts of a plant (cauliflower leaves, carrot greens, potato skins). Get ideas and recipes.
4. Bring older foods to the front of your fridge, and make leftovers visible. Or store food in the "Eat this first" storage area in your fridge, or label it so. Consider using online help like SuperCook to find recipes using items you already have in stock. 
5. Rescue foods that are about to go bad. Roast it, stew it, pickle it, mix it in fried rice or soup, bake it into bread, make it into a smoothie or the base for soup.... there are many creative ways out there to give your leftovers a new life.  Think of leftovers as culinary adventure. Watch: 4 meals we make with leftovers
6. Use the freezer to store leftovers, and remember to consume it. You can also start a "Catch-all bowl" in the freezer to store clean fruit and vegetable scraps, ready to use for a future soup base.
7. Feed others. Share with your friends and family!  

Consider this...
Even the smallest actions: reflecting on food waste, avoiding overbuying, mindful of leftovers - are movements in the right direction, sowing the seeds of change.  

“It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack.” Laudato Si' #222

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it." Genesis 2:1-14. 

We are called to take meaningful actions to care for God's creation. If you are unsure of where to start, here are 5 ideas to consider this spring:
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1. Set aside a garden space for prayer and contemplation. Starting a Mary's garden is delightful way to honour our Blessed Mother this month. A prayer garden doesn't have to be elaborate, or even outside. Surround yourself with plants or flowers you enjoy, and pray. 
2. Make 'seed bombs' - Sowing wildflowers in your garden provides vital resources to support or increase biodiversity. Throwing, breaking up or digging ‘seed bombs’ (or balls) into areas in your garden is a perfect way of spending an afternoon with your family, or friends! Learn how to make seed bombs here or here 
3. Get involved with a clean-up in your area. Plan your own, or find/register one at The Great Global Cleanup or local one like these ones, and help clean trash from our neighbourhoods, rivers, lakes, trails, and parks. 
4. Start composting to use the leftovers you can’t consume. While diverting food from landfills, composting helps enrich soil, promotes plant growth, filters and uses rainwater, and decreases greenhouse gasses. You can compost anywhere! How to make easy compost at home 
5. Supporting a local farmers market is a delicious way to support and preserve God’s creation, especially farmers and artisans in your community. It also reduces transportation pollution and cuts back on trash and plastic bag usage, since produce is minimally packaged.

There are many simple and creative ways “to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations” (Laudato Si’ 67). Find more action items in Laudato Si' Week 2022 Celebration Guide (May 22-29, 2022).

Here are 5 small individual actions that help save you gas, build community, and can have a huge impact for our earth:

1. Arrange ride sharing to Mass and other parish events. Perhaps you can take this a step further by organizing  occasional walk-to-church weekends?
2. Increase your use of public transportation. It's not too cold outside. With buses and trains operating all seasons, making use of them instead of your car — even just 2 or 3 times a month — is a step in reducing emissions and traffic congestion. Gain the rare opportunities of saying hello to a stranger, listening to forgotten podcasts, reading a book, or praying your examen or rosary in between stations. 
3. Take more time for a leisurely walk in a park or along the river, whether alone or with family or friends. Appreciate the great beauty God has given us in all aspects of creation. 
4. Set aside one day a month or a week to leave the car parked and instead walk, ride a bike or use transit to get where you are going. It's a small step that can benefit the health of God's creation, and yours as well.
5. Good driving habits lessen fuel consumption. Some examples: proper usage of vehicle’s cruise control; avoid aggressive practices such as speeding, heavy braking, heavy accelerating; avoid extended idling; use the right gears; replace air filters regularly; have tires properly inflated, and so much more. Find 'green' driving tips here

Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that our environment is God's gift to all people, and the use we make of it entail a shared responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future generations. 

​"We are all responsible for the protection and care of the environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity it is important for everyone to be committed at his or her proper level, working to overcome the prevalence of particular interests." (2010)

Consider this...
Everything starts with a small step.  

"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
Galatians 5:9