CCCB Presidency Visit to the Holy See

​This month’s Faithfully article comes to you while I am in Rome.

​Each year, representative bishops from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) come to the Vatican for meetings. The trip is commonly known as the Visit of the CCCB Presidency to the Holy See. This year it is from October 31 – November 11, 2022.  

I arrived in Rome on the Feast of All Saints with the President of the CCCB, Bishop Raymond Poisson, and the General Secretary, Father Jean Vézina. Since it was a holiday in Italy, the crowds at the airport and the volume of traffic coming into the city was very light. This was a welcome gift for those familiar with the traffic in Rome and who may also be experiencing jetlag.  

The purpose of this yearly visit by the CCCB to the Holy See is to meet with those responsible for various pastoral offices, commonly identified as a Dicastery. They oversee the diverse areas of the life and mission of the universal Church and are to be of service and support to the local Church in each diocese. There is a Dicastery for Bishops, Doctrine of the Faith, Clergy, the Laity and Family Life, Religious and Consecrated Life, Divine Worship and the Sacraments, the Promotion of the Integral Development of the Human, and the Pontifical Academy for Life to mention a few. There is also a meeting with the Vatican Secretary of State and finally, with the Holy Father himself.

As one can imagine, there is a great deal of work in the preparation of reports by the CCCB staff which are then sent to each Dicastery. The focus of each meeting is to present and discuss the initiatives which are being undertaken by the CCCB, and any issues and/or challenges which are impacting the Church and the society of Canada which may fall directly under the responsibility of a specific Dicastery.

The issues and topics pertinent to the Catholic church in Canada which will be discussed during the visit are wide ranging. They include the enduring effect of the pandemic and the related health precautions on the life of faith and communities, euthanasia and medical assistance in dying, cremation and the Ritual for Funerals, challenges with Canadian immigration for clergy and religious, review of the guidelines for clergy sexual abuse and the protection of minors, the reporting system for Bishops, ratio which guides the formation programme for Canadian seminaries, religious education in Catholic schools, Catholic universities, gender ideology and the challenges facing family life and the outreach to youth.
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On the first day of meetings, we met with Cardinal Grech, the Secretary General for the Synod. Our discussion touched upon the upcoming Continental phase and the Working Document entitled “Enlarge the space of your tent” (Is. 54:2).   

The working document is longer than many people had expected due in large part to the fact that the participation in local consultations with the parishes and Dioceses has gone beyond all expectations. The Continental phase “involves a discernment on the main synodal theme 'how we walk together today' and its priorities are developed in a manner as inclusive as possible.” It will further the ongoing process of synodality, of listening, discernment and conversion, in preparation for the bishops and representatives to the Synod gatherings in Rome (2023 & 2024).

L-R: Fr. Jean Vézina, Bishop Raymond Poisson, Cardinal Mario Grech (Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops), and Bishop William McGrattan.

​Later this week in our meeting with the Holy Father and the Secretary of State, we will be reviewing the initiatives that have been undertaken by the CCCB and the Vatican during this past year with respect to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. The Indigenous Delegation to Rome in the Spring which prepared for the penitential pilgrimage of the Holy Father to Canada, the Holy Father’s visit to Canada and the aftermath of the papal visit with the continued work on reconciliation, will be discussed. These discussions will focus on other related initiatives underway, including the establishment of the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) totaling $30 Million dollars over the next five years from all the dioceses of Canada to fund projects. The IRF will support the ongoing healing and reconciliation within Indigenous communities. protocols and guidelines to access from diocesan parish and mission records information contained in sacramental and death records for family members and relatives who may or may not have attended Indian residential schools. An understanding of the international implications for the repatriation of Indigenous artifacts and the status of the work on a potential response to questions related to the “doctrine of discovery” are two further items on the agenda for these important meetings.

Despite being away from the Diocese, technology helps me stay connected through internet, daily emails, zoom meetings and telephone calls. I am always united in prayer and place the needs of the Diocese each day in the hands of God and the Holy Spirit. This time in Rome for the Presidency Visit is one of service to the Canadian Catholic Church in collaboration with the leadership of the universal Church.

​May God continue to bless the life of faith in our Diocese, our province and country.

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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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​Nov. 7, 2022