Speak out for those who cannot speak

As Christians and people of faith we live in hope even in the midst of this pandemic. Our God has not abandoned us; He is with us and in the words of Matthew’s Gospel, “… remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 20) 

The question for us as Christians isn’t “How do we get back to where we have been?”, but rather, “What is the Lord’s call for us in all of this?” The words of the prophet Jeremiah are instructive, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11). We need always be a people of hope and we need to give voice to this hope through the renewal of society and the Church after the pandemic. Pope Francis speaks of this in his recent encyclical. 

I invite everyone to renewed hope, for hope “speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfillment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love… Hope is bold; it can look beyond personal convenience, the petty securities and compensations which limit our horizon, and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile”.  Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope. (Fratelli Tutti, #55.)

As people of faith, we are also called to address the suffering and injustices in the witness of our faith and to offer hope. Proverbs 31: 8-9: “Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Last month the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories issued a pastoral statement on the Impact of COVID-19 and the Call to Christian Renewal. We stated that “Our Catholic faith has much to contribute with respect to promoting human, social and spiritual values for the common good of our society” and the authentic human development of persons. 

This month we the Alberta Catholic Bishops are also identifying two important legislative matters currently before the House of Commons in Ottawa which challenge human dignity and freedom. The first is Bill C-7 that seeks to expand access to assisted suicide and euthanasia which are inherently immoral. This would potential place vulnerable persons with disabilities and mental illness at serious risk. The other legislation deals with “conversion therapy” that is intended to address coercive practices contrary to the dignity of the human person. However, the language and definition of this legislation is vague, open to interpretation that could lead to its application in situations that would be detrimental to parental rights, religious beliefs, teaching and practices. 

It should be noted that the Catholic Bishops of Canada have also issued statements on Bill C-7 expressing opposition to this legislation and that Bill C-6 be revised to fully protect and uphold the rights of parents, and individuals to have the freedom to voluntarily live their lives in a manner consistent with their faith and beliefs. I encourage the faithful to be informed through such statements of the Alberta and Canadian Bishops on these two important issues and to respond to our request in making your own objections know to your Member of Parliament. This can be a sign of hope and a witness of our faith. 

Read below: Letter to the Faithful re: Bill C-6 and C-7 from the The Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories
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Written by Bishop William T. McGrattan,
​October 28, 2020

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October 29, 2020 

Dear Faithful in Christ, 

We bring to your attention two important legislative matters currently before the House of Commons. Since they each represent a direct and worrisome challenge to human dignity and freedom, it is necessary that we be aware of them and make our views known to the federal government.  

The first is proposed legislation, Bill C-7, that seeks to expand access to assisted suicide and euthanasia in Canada. We know that these practices in themselves are inherently immoral. This particular Bill would remove the eligibility requirement that a person’s death be “reasonably foreseeable”, and thus effectively extend provision of euthanasia and assisted suicide to those who are not dying. This would place vulnerable citizens, such as persons with disabilities and mental illness, at serious risk. In the case of people who are dying, it aims to remove key safeguards set down in 2016, such as a 10-day reflection period and the ability to consent at the time of the provision of assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia to hasten one’s death. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is among the signatories to an inter-religious statement expressing opposition to Bill C- 7. The Bishops have, in addition, issued their own statement detailing their concerns with this legislation. 

Our ask of you is to contact your Member of Parliament to: 

• insist that Bill C-7 be paused to allow comprehensive consultation with Canadians on this grave matter that affects the inherent dignity of every person in our society;
• urge that Parliament acknowledge every person’s right to life is inherent and inalienable, not to be taken away by others;
• advocate for universal access to excellent palliative care as the humanely appropriate response to suffering at the end of life;
• promote meaningful protection of conscience rights for healthcare workers and institutions who conscientiously object to assisted suicide and euthanasia.

The second piece of legislation, Bill C-6, pertains to what is called “conversion therapy.” The Bill aims to prevent coercive practices contrary to the dignity of the human person, a goal that we support. However, its language and definition are open to interpretations that could lead to unacceptable overreach in application, to the detriment of parental rights and religious beliefs and practices. The Bishops of Canada have issued a statement on Bill C-6. 

Our ask of you is to contact your Member of Parliament and insist that Bill C-6 be revised to protect and uphold: 

• the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the welfare of their children, specifically their freedom to instruct them in accord with their religious and ethical beliefs;
• the right and freedom of every Canadian to voluntarily seek support to live in a manner consistent with their faith identity and beliefs, and in accord with their personal convictions;
• the right and freedom of the Church and other religious communities to counsel and support persons who choose to live their lives and sexuality in accord with moral teachings and the dictates of conscience;
• the right and freedom of the Church and other religious communities to share their religious and ethical beliefs regarding human sexuality.

Thank you for your attention and action on these matters of serious concern. May our Lord both inspire and bring to accomplishment our efforts to embrace and protect the suffering and vulnerable, and to honour and uphold our rights and freedoms. 

Yours in Christ, 

Catholic Bishops of Alberta and NWT 

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Most Reverend Richard W. Smith
Archbishop of Edmonton  

Most Reverend William McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary  

Most Reverend Paul Terrio
Bishop of St. Paul 

Most Reverend Gerard Pettipas CSsR
Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan  

Most Reverend David Motiuk 
Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton  
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