Canadian Church marks Solidarity Sunday

(Vatican Radio) Every fifth Sunday of Lent marks Solidarity Sunday for Catholics in Canada. The decades-old tradition puts the spotlight on the needs of the poor and invites Catholics to give alms in support of the Church’s work in the Global South.

However, in addition to raising funds, the annual campaign also seeks to educate Canadians on the various struggles of the poor.

This year’s theme is “Human Dignity: More Than Ever”.

Archbishop Richard Smith, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, explained the Church’s teaching at the heart of this year’s theme.

“All that we teach in reaching out to the poor; all that we teach in terms of protecting human life from its conception to its natural end, all of this is rooted in the truth of human dignity, which is inalienable, which is inherent and which is grounded in the beautiful fact that we are created in the image and the likeness of God,” he said.

“By inviting Catholics to stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in need at the same time we provide them with the principle reason for this appeal, and the principle reason for the work that we do,” he continued. “That together with all we share an inherent human dignity that comes to us from our God.”

The collection takes place in all parishes nationwide, March 16-17, and funds the work of the bishops’ development agency: the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, the Canadian arm of Caritas Internationalis.

Listen to the report by Laura Ieraci: