Canadian bishops urge PM, government to act

(Vatican Radio) In a recent letter sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Archbishop Paul-André Durocher urged the Canadian government to act on several issues regarding justice and peace, both in Canada and internationally.

“The letter was motivated by some requests the CCCB received to intervene with the government on a number of issues,” Archbishop Durocher told Vatican Radio.

The archbishop said the bishops’ conference enjoys a good rapport with the current government and that the letter “is part of an ongoing discussion, an invitation to continue,” he said. “It identifies areas of concern that we bring to the government.”

Among the issues highlighted is: the ongoing violence on the African continent, often committed under the guise of religion, and the need to contribute to development there; the need to develop better educational opportunities for Canada’s indigenous people; continued support for Ukraine in the current crisis; the request to create of an office of an ombudsman to deal with unethical activities of Canadian mining companies abroad; an appeal to facilitate the entry process for Syrian refugees to Canada; and the need to protect and value all human life at all stages, especially in the face of the ongoing euthanasia debate.

“My hope is that the prime minister will take this and send this on to the people who deal with these various issues and maybe they will get back to us so we can find ways to continue to discuss this,” Archbishop Durocher told Vatican Radio.

“I think it is important for the Catholics of our country to have a strong voice in framing policy in our government and to influence for the sake of the common good the debate within our country,” he continued. “And I think, in that sense, as bishops we are only playing the role which is ours as leaders within the Catholic Church to bring these issues to the attention of our government.”

At the time of publication, CCCB communications director René Laprise said confirmation was sent by a government official confirming receipt of the letter.

Listen to the full interview with Archbishop Paul-André Durocher:
Report and interview by Laura Ieraci