Chers jeunes de Québec et du Canada,
Cette année encore, je vous invite à une rencontre au sommet à Québec, dans la suite du Congrès eucharistique international de juin 2008.
Depuis 2005, au fil des Montées Jeunesse, nous avons découvert la place centrale de l’Eucharistie dans la vie chrétienne et nous avons développé une culture eucharistique chez les jeunes. Il importe de continuer nos efforts pour étendre ce mouvement plus largement chez les jeunes de notre entourage.
Venez nous rejoindre à Québec, de tous les coins du pays, pour partager une expérience d’évangélisation à partir de l’Eucharistie et vers l’Eucharistie. Anglophones, francophones ou allophones nous sommes un seul corps autour du Christ ressuscité qui se donne à nous dans Sa Parole et dans l’Eucharistie.
Venez vous ressourcer auprès des grands témoins de l’Évangile qui ont bâti notre pays et qui nous font signe de témoigner à notre tour en cette belle année paulinienne.
Je vous souhaite la plus cordiale bienvenue en attendant la grande joie de vous rencontrer.
Marc Cardinal Ouellet
Archevêque de Québec et Primat du Canada
Showing posts with label Marc Cardinal Ouellet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marc Cardinal Ouellet. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Quebec Ethics and Culture Education Proposal
Québec : Boycott du cours obligatoire d'éthique et de culture religieuse
I received this update in an email from friends in Quebec who are making an effort to protect the right for parents to educate their children according to particular faith based traditions, and not support the Province of Quebec in their proposal of a neutral program of ethics and culture, one that simply sees all religions and faith based traditions as being equal. There is an attempt to eliminate religion and the practice of religious practices and from the public square. As well, as the loss of what formed the Quebec identity and sustained it for centuries, that is the presence and Tradition of the Catholic Church.
Depuis la mise en place dans les écoles québécoises, à la rentrée 2008, d'un cours d'Etat obligatoire d'« éthique et de culture religieuse », certains parents ont décidé de boycotter le cours. Ils réclament le droit de choisir pour leurs enfants scolarisés « un enseignement moral ou religieux en accord avec leurs croyances et leurs convictions ».
Ce nouveau cours, qui vise à donner aux élèves une 'connaissance' des croyances et rites de six ou sept religions, avait été dénoncé en octobre 2008 par le cardinal Marc Ouellet, archevêque de Québec et Primat du Canada, comme une orientation « radicale » qu'« aucun pays européen n'a jamais adoptée ».
La réforme
Jusqu'en septembre 2007, les écoles publiques et privées du Québec proposaient encore un enseignement moral et religieux catholique, un enseignement moral et religieux protestant ou un enseignement moral (sans religion), chaque parent faisant le choix d'un de ces trois cours pour leurs enfants au primaire et au secondaire.
La Loi 95 imposant aux écoles publiques et privées un cours d'Etat obligatoire d'« éthique et de culture religieuse », en vigueur depuis la rentrée de septembre 2008, avait été adoptée en 2005 par le gouvernement de Québec.
Cette loi avait alors modifié l'article 41 de la Charte québécoise des droits et libertés de la personne en abrogeant la partie suivante : « (...) les parents ou les personnes qui en tiennent lieu ont le droit d'exiger que, dans les établissements d'enseignement publics, leurs enfants reçoivent un enseignement religieux ou moral conforme à leurs convictions, dans le cadre de programmes prévus par la loi ».
Pour le gouvernement de Québec, il s'agit, « dans une société marquée par la diversité des croyances », de proposer un enseignement visant à favoriser une société « ouverte et tolérante », à comprendre les « traditions religieuses dont l'influence s'est exercée et s'exerce toujours dans notre société ». Dans la présentation du programme (http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/sections/ecr/), l'Etat québécois affirme vouloir ainsi signifier « sa volonté de compléter la déconfessionnalisation de tous les éléments du système scolaire public ».
Le boycott des cours
Ainsi, depuis septembre 2008, ce cours d'Ethique et de culture religieuse se propose de faire découvrir aux élèves un ensemble de 6 ou 7 religions et de différentes visions du monde. Il s'agit d'un enseignement obligatoire, dans les écoles publiques comme dans les écoles privées, ces dernières gardant néanmoins la possibilité d'y ajouter des enseignements confessionnels. Cependant, le régime pédagogique ne prévoit pas de temps pour ces cours supplémentaires.
En 2007, un collectif de parents s'est regroupé en 'Coalition pour la liberté en éducation', qui réclame le droit de choisir pour leurs enfants un enseignement moral ou religieux à l'école en accord avec à leurs croyances et leurs convictions. Ils évoquent le danger que ce cours « banalise la religion en plaçant toutes les religions, spiritualités, mouvements religieux et visions du monde sur un pied d'égalité » et dénoncent le risque de « grande confusion » que cela risque de créer dans la tête de l'enfant. « A la fin de ce cours, on peut prévoir que l'enfant ne connaîtra ni sa propre religion ni celle des autres et qu'il aura une très grande difficulté à démêler l'une de l'autre », ajoutent-ils.
Le risque d'une dictature du relativisme
Les parents dénoncent une dictature du relativisme et notamment un refus de chercher à définir un bien et un mal absolu. Ils justifient leurs craintes par les affirmations contenues dans les manuels eux-mêmes. L'un de ces manuels précise en effet qu'à la suite du cours l'enfant aura peut-être « l'impression que le BIEN et le MAL ABSOLU n'existent pas, mais qu'il y a bien un bien et un mal relatif pour chaque INDIVIDU » (les majuscules sont dans le texte).
En octobre 2008, le cardinal Ouellet avait évoqué dans un article signé dans la revue de l'Université catholique de Milan, 'Vita e Pensiero', ce cours qui vise à donner aux élèves une « 'connaissance' des croyances et rites de six ou sept religions ». « Je doute que des enseignants vraiment peu préparés à relever ce défi puissent enseigner avec une neutralité totale et de manière critique des notions qui sont encore moins compréhensibles pour eux que leur propre religion ».
« Il faut être très ingénu pour croire que ce miracle d'enseignement culturel des religions produira un nouveau petit Québécois, pluraliste, expert en relations interreligieuses et critique envers toutes les croyances », avait encore dénoncé le cardinal. « Le moins que l'on puisse dire est que la soif de valeurs spirituelles sera bien loin d'être étanchée et qu'une dictature du relativisme risque de rendre encore plus difficile la transmission de notre héritage religieux ».
L'archevêque de Québec avait alors invité à « protéger et entretenir cet héritage religieux fondé sur l'amour qui est une force d'intégration sociale bien plus efficace que la connaissance abstraite de quelques notions superficielles sur six ou sept religions ».
Marine Soreau
I received this update in an email from friends in Quebec who are making an effort to protect the right for parents to educate their children according to particular faith based traditions, and not support the Province of Quebec in their proposal of a neutral program of ethics and culture, one that simply sees all religions and faith based traditions as being equal. There is an attempt to eliminate religion and the practice of religious practices and from the public square. As well, as the loss of what formed the Quebec identity and sustained it for centuries, that is the presence and Tradition of the Catholic Church.
Depuis la mise en place dans les écoles québécoises, à la rentrée 2008, d'un cours d'Etat obligatoire d'« éthique et de culture religieuse », certains parents ont décidé de boycotter le cours. Ils réclament le droit de choisir pour leurs enfants scolarisés « un enseignement moral ou religieux en accord avec leurs croyances et leurs convictions ».
Ce nouveau cours, qui vise à donner aux élèves une 'connaissance' des croyances et rites de six ou sept religions, avait été dénoncé en octobre 2008 par le cardinal Marc Ouellet, archevêque de Québec et Primat du Canada, comme une orientation « radicale » qu'« aucun pays européen n'a jamais adoptée ».
La réforme
Jusqu'en septembre 2007, les écoles publiques et privées du Québec proposaient encore un enseignement moral et religieux catholique, un enseignement moral et religieux protestant ou un enseignement moral (sans religion), chaque parent faisant le choix d'un de ces trois cours pour leurs enfants au primaire et au secondaire.
La Loi 95 imposant aux écoles publiques et privées un cours d'Etat obligatoire d'« éthique et de culture religieuse », en vigueur depuis la rentrée de septembre 2008, avait été adoptée en 2005 par le gouvernement de Québec.
Cette loi avait alors modifié l'article 41 de la Charte québécoise des droits et libertés de la personne en abrogeant la partie suivante : « (...) les parents ou les personnes qui en tiennent lieu ont le droit d'exiger que, dans les établissements d'enseignement publics, leurs enfants reçoivent un enseignement religieux ou moral conforme à leurs convictions, dans le cadre de programmes prévus par la loi ».
Pour le gouvernement de Québec, il s'agit, « dans une société marquée par la diversité des croyances », de proposer un enseignement visant à favoriser une société « ouverte et tolérante », à comprendre les « traditions religieuses dont l'influence s'est exercée et s'exerce toujours dans notre société ». Dans la présentation du programme (http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/sections/ecr/), l'Etat québécois affirme vouloir ainsi signifier « sa volonté de compléter la déconfessionnalisation de tous les éléments du système scolaire public ».
Le boycott des cours
Ainsi, depuis septembre 2008, ce cours d'Ethique et de culture religieuse se propose de faire découvrir aux élèves un ensemble de 6 ou 7 religions et de différentes visions du monde. Il s'agit d'un enseignement obligatoire, dans les écoles publiques comme dans les écoles privées, ces dernières gardant néanmoins la possibilité d'y ajouter des enseignements confessionnels. Cependant, le régime pédagogique ne prévoit pas de temps pour ces cours supplémentaires.
En 2007, un collectif de parents s'est regroupé en 'Coalition pour la liberté en éducation', qui réclame le droit de choisir pour leurs enfants un enseignement moral ou religieux à l'école en accord avec à leurs croyances et leurs convictions. Ils évoquent le danger que ce cours « banalise la religion en plaçant toutes les religions, spiritualités, mouvements religieux et visions du monde sur un pied d'égalité » et dénoncent le risque de « grande confusion » que cela risque de créer dans la tête de l'enfant. « A la fin de ce cours, on peut prévoir que l'enfant ne connaîtra ni sa propre religion ni celle des autres et qu'il aura une très grande difficulté à démêler l'une de l'autre », ajoutent-ils.
Le risque d'une dictature du relativisme
Les parents dénoncent une dictature du relativisme et notamment un refus de chercher à définir un bien et un mal absolu. Ils justifient leurs craintes par les affirmations contenues dans les manuels eux-mêmes. L'un de ces manuels précise en effet qu'à la suite du cours l'enfant aura peut-être « l'impression que le BIEN et le MAL ABSOLU n'existent pas, mais qu'il y a bien un bien et un mal relatif pour chaque INDIVIDU » (les majuscules sont dans le texte).
En octobre 2008, le cardinal Ouellet avait évoqué dans un article signé dans la revue de l'Université catholique de Milan, 'Vita e Pensiero', ce cours qui vise à donner aux élèves une « 'connaissance' des croyances et rites de six ou sept religions ». « Je doute que des enseignants vraiment peu préparés à relever ce défi puissent enseigner avec une neutralité totale et de manière critique des notions qui sont encore moins compréhensibles pour eux que leur propre religion ».
« Il faut être très ingénu pour croire que ce miracle d'enseignement culturel des religions produira un nouveau petit Québécois, pluraliste, expert en relations interreligieuses et critique envers toutes les croyances », avait encore dénoncé le cardinal. « Le moins que l'on puisse dire est que la soif de valeurs spirituelles sera bien loin d'être étanchée et qu'une dictature du relativisme risque de rendre encore plus difficile la transmission de notre héritage religieux ».
L'archevêque de Québec avait alors invité à « protéger et entretenir cet héritage religieux fondé sur l'amour qui est une force d'intégration sociale bien plus efficace que la connaissance abstraite de quelques notions superficielles sur six ou sept religions ».
Marine Soreau
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Interview With Canada's Cardinal Ouellet
Families, the Crisis and the Church in America
By Gilberto Hernández García
There is plenty of good news to share about the Christian family in the world, and this is news that the Catholic Church offers, according to the archbishop of Quebec, Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
The cardinal was one of the speakers at the 6th World Meeting of Families last week in Mexico City. He spoke with ZENIT at the conference about various situations facing families today.
Q: The presence of Latin American Catholics in the United States revitalizes that Church. What is this situation like in Canada? What is the evangelizing role of Latinos in the Church in Canada?
Cardinal Ouellet: In recent years in the United States, one can see a growth in the Church's awareness of this reality; in the seminaries of the United States -- in Florida, California and in other parts -- there is concern for priests to learn Spanish and there is a good percentage of those who do, so as to be able to attend those communities who come from other areas. This is a new cultural fact indicating the weight of the Latin American community in the United States.
I don't think we can say exactly the same for Canada; but this openness is increasing, this welcome and the testimony of Latin America; in particular since Aparecida, I see a continental Church that is uniting more and that has more clarity regarding its evangelizing mission, and with the motto very clear that we have to form missionary disciples; this is an extraordinary force. The continental mission that begins with this boost given in Aparecida promises fruits, not only for Latin America, but also for the North and for all of the Church.
Q: It is a fact that there are divided families: divorced couples who have remarried, single-parent families, and other situations. What are the paths to strengthen the family institution?
Cardinal Ouellet: It seems interesting to me what the president of Mexico said in the inauguration [of the theological congress]: that the state should support and consider the family a very important patrimony. He also said that not everyone has the opportunity or the joy of having a family, with a father and a mother and children and a good education. In this case, Christians are not indifferent regarding these difficult situations.
Today, the family must be strengthened in itself, and not only strengthening it in an individual way, as a family, but in stirring up associations of families so that they have public strength, such that they are more listened to by the state, and recognized as a social subject, because not just individuals have rights. If we want to resolve long-term the problems of single-parent families and all of this, the best strategy is prevention, better said, to help families to have consistency, stability and thus we will help to diminish these particular factors and phenomena.
Q: What do you think the impact of the economic crisis will be on families? What hopes has the World Meeting of Families given in this regard?
Cardinal Ouellet: There are many families who live in difficult economic situations; a year ago when the price of gas was at $140, this was a tragedy. We have seen in various parts groups and people shouting that they could no longer buy basic needs because the price of gas made other prices shoot to the stars. The world economic crisis -- that doesn't depend only on gas now but on bad administration -- impacts the family in the basic elements of its life: food and education, because if they must invest money in food, how to do they continue to pay for education. The problems multiply.
I think the reflection of this world meeting is very rich. The influence of communication on family life and the culture in general was spoken of. It is important for those who work in this area and have a social responsibility -- it is important that they develop attitudes that are favorable to the family and not only to individual liberty like now in the culture; that they think of the family, in its stability, in its unity. To help so that they can educate children with peace and not have all of these messages that make the work of fathers and mothers in the home more complicated.
There is much that can be transmitted as good news about the Christian family in the entire world. This is the testimony of the Catholic Church. I hope that this beautiful testimony of the Catholic Church is ever more recognized because it is an extraordinary contribution to peace and civilization.
By Gilberto Hernández García
There is plenty of good news to share about the Christian family in the world, and this is news that the Catholic Church offers, according to the archbishop of Quebec, Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
The cardinal was one of the speakers at the 6th World Meeting of Families last week in Mexico City. He spoke with ZENIT at the conference about various situations facing families today.
Q: The presence of Latin American Catholics in the United States revitalizes that Church. What is this situation like in Canada? What is the evangelizing role of Latinos in the Church in Canada?
Cardinal Ouellet: In recent years in the United States, one can see a growth in the Church's awareness of this reality; in the seminaries of the United States -- in Florida, California and in other parts -- there is concern for priests to learn Spanish and there is a good percentage of those who do, so as to be able to attend those communities who come from other areas. This is a new cultural fact indicating the weight of the Latin American community in the United States.
I don't think we can say exactly the same for Canada; but this openness is increasing, this welcome and the testimony of Latin America; in particular since Aparecida, I see a continental Church that is uniting more and that has more clarity regarding its evangelizing mission, and with the motto very clear that we have to form missionary disciples; this is an extraordinary force. The continental mission that begins with this boost given in Aparecida promises fruits, not only for Latin America, but also for the North and for all of the Church.
Q: It is a fact that there are divided families: divorced couples who have remarried, single-parent families, and other situations. What are the paths to strengthen the family institution?
Cardinal Ouellet: It seems interesting to me what the president of Mexico said in the inauguration [of the theological congress]: that the state should support and consider the family a very important patrimony. He also said that not everyone has the opportunity or the joy of having a family, with a father and a mother and children and a good education. In this case, Christians are not indifferent regarding these difficult situations.
Today, the family must be strengthened in itself, and not only strengthening it in an individual way, as a family, but in stirring up associations of families so that they have public strength, such that they are more listened to by the state, and recognized as a social subject, because not just individuals have rights. If we want to resolve long-term the problems of single-parent families and all of this, the best strategy is prevention, better said, to help families to have consistency, stability and thus we will help to diminish these particular factors and phenomena.
Q: What do you think the impact of the economic crisis will be on families? What hopes has the World Meeting of Families given in this regard?
Cardinal Ouellet: There are many families who live in difficult economic situations; a year ago when the price of gas was at $140, this was a tragedy. We have seen in various parts groups and people shouting that they could no longer buy basic needs because the price of gas made other prices shoot to the stars. The world economic crisis -- that doesn't depend only on gas now but on bad administration -- impacts the family in the basic elements of its life: food and education, because if they must invest money in food, how to do they continue to pay for education. The problems multiply.
I think the reflection of this world meeting is very rich. The influence of communication on family life and the culture in general was spoken of. It is important for those who work in this area and have a social responsibility -- it is important that they develop attitudes that are favorable to the family and not only to individual liberty like now in the culture; that they think of the family, in its stability, in its unity. To help so that they can educate children with peace and not have all of these messages that make the work of fathers and mothers in the home more complicated.
There is much that can be transmitted as good news about the Christian family in the entire world. This is the testimony of the Catholic Church. I hope that this beautiful testimony of the Catholic Church is ever more recognized because it is an extraordinary contribution to peace and civilization.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Interview With Cardinal Marc Ouellet
Foundation Built on the Word
By Kris Dmytrenko (A fella I believe I met in Rome during the spring)
- In the midst of a financial crisis, people need to hear more about what is the real foundation of the world, which is the Word of God, says Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
"All reality is grounded in the Word of God," added the archbishop of Quebec, who served as the relator-general of this month's world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God.
The cardinal was among the most prominent voices at the three-week synod, which ended Sunday, as he was responsible for delivering four key synod texts, including the reports before and after the discussion and the final list of 55 propositions to be considered by Benedict XVI.
In this interview with ZENIT at the conclusion of the assembly, Cardinal Ouellet discusses the outcomes of this synod and what he believes would be a good theme for the next assembly.
Q: During the closing press conference on Saturday, you compared the synod to the biblical account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Can you elaborate on this shared experience of the bishops?
Cardinal Ouellet: I remember the one from Latvia [Bishop Antons Justs of Jelgava] who told us how much in the history of his country, people have been forced to walk on the Bible -- to despise the Word of God -- and yet they had knelt down and kissed the Bible. Then they were sent to Siberia for ten years.
But when they came back, they proclaimed the Word and, lifting high the Bible, said, “This is the Word for which our fathers died.” These people have extraordinary conviction. And when we heard these witnesses we were touched and moved ourselves.
Among all these testimonies, we heard the Lord who was present, who was talking to us, who was warming our hearts and helping us to realize that the Church is there for the Word of God, to spread the Good News. So that’s why I said it was a way of Emmaus together.
Q: For laity in the pews, what changes can they expect in their parish life as a result of the synod? What changes might you bring to the Archdiocese of Quebec even before the Pope releases his post-synodal apostolic exhortation?
Cardinal Ouellet: We have heard many comments about how to improve the way the Word is proclaimed. We need to form our readers and really encourage them. I think there will also be long-term improvements in preaching -- it won’t be tomorrow -- because in the long term we will have a more spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures, also on the part of scholars and theologians.
There will be more meditation on the Word of God, with the Gospels and readings of the previous or coming Sunday. There will be more Bible-sharing groups where participants will share the Scriptures to find meaning in their lives. I hope that the youth will discover the Scriptures and learn to pray with the Scriptures. This is essential for the future.
Q: It was up to the Pope’s discretion whether to release the list of 55 propositions submitted to him by the synod fathers. Why did he agree to release them, albeit in an unofficial translation?
Cardinal Ouellet: Because the decision was made at the last synod in 2005. Nowadays it’s very difficult to keep secret the things that are discussed in a big assembly. And, at the same time, it was a way of coming closer to the media and allowing them to reflect on and spread what was discussed. And I think it’s preparing the way for the apostolic exhortation.
Q: This synod was notable for the unity that existed among the bishops. Were you surprised by the degree of consensus that was reached?
Cardinal Ouellet: I was not surprised, but I was deeply edified. I think that it was linked to the theme -- the Word of God -- and to the real sincere invocation of the Holy Spirit. Also, I think it was due to the Holy Father. You know, his pontificate is three years old. We sense his presence, his authority, his competence, and this had a strong impact on the consensus.
I would like to add something: In the Church, we have strong ecclesial movements that have developed over three or four decades. I think of Focolare, Communion and Liberation, the Neocatechumenate Way, [the] Sant’Egidio [Community], charismatic movements, and others. They have reached a degree of maturity and they bring an impetus for evangelization. All this has been a resource for the synod.
Q: While the Catholic media was following the daily synod developments in Paul VI Hall, much of the mainstream press was not. What might the world not understand about what has occurred here over the last three weeks?
Cardinal Ouellet: There were other events, like the financial chaos in parts of world. This distracted the world press, to some extent. But precisely because of this chaos, the world needs to hear about the real foundation of the world, which is the Word of God. The Pope said it at the beginning and I think it should be repeated many times: All reality is grounded in the Word of God. Everything was created in the Word. I think this has to be proclaimed and offered to the search of humanity.
Q: As a recently elected member of the post-synodal council, you will also have a role in preparing the next world Synod of Bishops. What issues do you hope will be addressed?
Cardinal Ouellet: The Word of God was a way for the Church to reflect on its own identity, because that's the foundation of the Church and the foundation of its mission. The next synod will be decided by the Holy Father, but there was a consultation on the last day and I personally insisted on mission and communication.
We’re in a new age of communication, so we have to reflect more deeply on this. This would help very much the mission of the Church. But at the same time, it has to be a theme that would be universal -- the world of communication is not at the same level in all countries. In developed countries it has a certain place, but in others, less so.
It could also be about interreligious dialogue, which is vital for the future, for the peace of humanity, for the struggle for justice in the world. This is another theme that is oriented "ad extra," so to speak -- toward the world.
* * *
Kris Dmytrenko is an associate producer of the Toronto-based Salt and Light Television Network, and is currently on assignment in Rome.
By Kris Dmytrenko (A fella I believe I met in Rome during the spring)
- In the midst of a financial crisis, people need to hear more about what is the real foundation of the world, which is the Word of God, says Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
"All reality is grounded in the Word of God," added the archbishop of Quebec, who served as the relator-general of this month's world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God.
The cardinal was among the most prominent voices at the three-week synod, which ended Sunday, as he was responsible for delivering four key synod texts, including the reports before and after the discussion and the final list of 55 propositions to be considered by Benedict XVI.
In this interview with ZENIT at the conclusion of the assembly, Cardinal Ouellet discusses the outcomes of this synod and what he believes would be a good theme for the next assembly.
Q: During the closing press conference on Saturday, you compared the synod to the biblical account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Can you elaborate on this shared experience of the bishops?
Cardinal Ouellet: I remember the one from Latvia [Bishop Antons Justs of Jelgava] who told us how much in the history of his country, people have been forced to walk on the Bible -- to despise the Word of God -- and yet they had knelt down and kissed the Bible. Then they were sent to Siberia for ten years.
But when they came back, they proclaimed the Word and, lifting high the Bible, said, “This is the Word for which our fathers died.” These people have extraordinary conviction. And when we heard these witnesses we were touched and moved ourselves.
Among all these testimonies, we heard the Lord who was present, who was talking to us, who was warming our hearts and helping us to realize that the Church is there for the Word of God, to spread the Good News. So that’s why I said it was a way of Emmaus together.
Q: For laity in the pews, what changes can they expect in their parish life as a result of the synod? What changes might you bring to the Archdiocese of Quebec even before the Pope releases his post-synodal apostolic exhortation?
Cardinal Ouellet: We have heard many comments about how to improve the way the Word is proclaimed. We need to form our readers and really encourage them. I think there will also be long-term improvements in preaching -- it won’t be tomorrow -- because in the long term we will have a more spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures, also on the part of scholars and theologians.
There will be more meditation on the Word of God, with the Gospels and readings of the previous or coming Sunday. There will be more Bible-sharing groups where participants will share the Scriptures to find meaning in their lives. I hope that the youth will discover the Scriptures and learn to pray with the Scriptures. This is essential for the future.
Q: It was up to the Pope’s discretion whether to release the list of 55 propositions submitted to him by the synod fathers. Why did he agree to release them, albeit in an unofficial translation?
Cardinal Ouellet: Because the decision was made at the last synod in 2005. Nowadays it’s very difficult to keep secret the things that are discussed in a big assembly. And, at the same time, it was a way of coming closer to the media and allowing them to reflect on and spread what was discussed. And I think it’s preparing the way for the apostolic exhortation.
Q: This synod was notable for the unity that existed among the bishops. Were you surprised by the degree of consensus that was reached?
Cardinal Ouellet: I was not surprised, but I was deeply edified. I think that it was linked to the theme -- the Word of God -- and to the real sincere invocation of the Holy Spirit. Also, I think it was due to the Holy Father. You know, his pontificate is three years old. We sense his presence, his authority, his competence, and this had a strong impact on the consensus.
I would like to add something: In the Church, we have strong ecclesial movements that have developed over three or four decades. I think of Focolare, Communion and Liberation, the Neocatechumenate Way, [the] Sant’Egidio [Community], charismatic movements, and others. They have reached a degree of maturity and they bring an impetus for evangelization. All this has been a resource for the synod.
Q: While the Catholic media was following the daily synod developments in Paul VI Hall, much of the mainstream press was not. What might the world not understand about what has occurred here over the last three weeks?
Cardinal Ouellet: There were other events, like the financial chaos in parts of world. This distracted the world press, to some extent. But precisely because of this chaos, the world needs to hear about the real foundation of the world, which is the Word of God. The Pope said it at the beginning and I think it should be repeated many times: All reality is grounded in the Word of God. Everything was created in the Word. I think this has to be proclaimed and offered to the search of humanity.
Q: As a recently elected member of the post-synodal council, you will also have a role in preparing the next world Synod of Bishops. What issues do you hope will be addressed?
Cardinal Ouellet: The Word of God was a way for the Church to reflect on its own identity, because that's the foundation of the Church and the foundation of its mission. The next synod will be decided by the Holy Father, but there was a consultation on the last day and I personally insisted on mission and communication.
We’re in a new age of communication, so we have to reflect more deeply on this. This would help very much the mission of the Church. But at the same time, it has to be a theme that would be universal -- the world of communication is not at the same level in all countries. In developed countries it has a certain place, but in others, less so.
It could also be about interreligious dialogue, which is vital for the future, for the peace of humanity, for the struggle for justice in the world. This is another theme that is oriented "ad extra," so to speak -- toward the world.
* * *
Kris Dmytrenko is an associate producer of the Toronto-based Salt and Light Television Network, and is currently on assignment in Rome.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Marc Cardinal Ouellet Website
Dear Friends,
A couple of months ago I was talking to a friend in Rome, Sandy MacDonald -seminary student for the Diocese of Antigonish, and mentioned that I would like to start a Marc Cardinal Ouellet Website.
The Primate of Canada represents an authoritative father figure for me, a presence to follow that has led me to a greater love for Christ and the Catholic Church. I would like to make to express my gratitude for his leadership and presence in Canada. He is a light that shines brightly in our nihilistic culture we find in our beloved country. May we all stand with him, and with the leadership of the Church in Canada during these trying times.
Biography taken from Diocese de Quebec Website
His Eminence Cardinal Marc Ouellet was born in La Motte, near Amos, Abitibi Region, Quebec, on June 8, 1944. He attended the Amos Teacher Training College (1959-1964) where he completed college and two years of philosophy and obtained a B.A. in Education from Laval University in 1964. At the end of his theological studies at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal (1964-1968), he obtained a Licence in Theology from the Université de Montréal. On May 25, 1968, in his home parish, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Amos and was appointed pastor of Saint-Sauveur Parish in Val d=Or, Abitibi. Sent to teach philosophy at the Major Seminary of Bogotá, Columbia (1970-1971), then headed by the Sulpicians, he decided to join the Company of Saint-Sulpice in 1972. He next pursued studies in Rome where, in 1974, he obtained a Licence in Philosophy at St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University. Invited to serve for two years as a Faculty member and professor at the Major Seminary of Manizales in Columbia, he was recalled to Canada in 1976 to assume the same roles at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal.
In 1978, he returned to Rome for further studies and obtained a Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from the Gregorian University in 1983. He taught a year at the Major Seminary of Cali, and was then appointed Rector of the Major Seminary of Manizales from 1984 to 1989. The following year, he became Rector at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal, and then in 1994 at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton. From 1996 to 2002, he occupied the Chair of Dogmatic Theology of the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, at the Lateran Pontifical University in Rome.
On March 3, 2001, he was named titular bishop of Agropoli and appointed Secretary to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Pope John Paul II ordained him a bishop on March 19th in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Cardinal Ouellet has served as consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and to the Congregation for the Clergy. He is currently consultor to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, a member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, and advisor to the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He is also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, of the Congregation for Catholic Education, and of the Pontifical Council of Cardinals for the study of the organizational and economic affairs of the Holy See. Recently, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Ouellet as General Relator to the 12th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
He was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Quebec on November 15, 2002 and took possession of his See on January 26, 2003. Pope John Paul II promoted him to the Sacred College of Cardinals during the Consistory of October 21-22, 2003.
His Eminence Cardinal Marc Ouellet is the twenty-fourth Bishop, the fourteenth Archbishop, and the seventh Cardinal of Quebec.
Please find a series of articles, and homiles he has written on the following website http://www.eglisecatholiquedequebec.org/index.html
List of Articles from the Communio: International Catholic Review Website
Ouellet, Marc, S.S. "The Foundations of Christian Ethics According to Hans Urs von Balthasar." 17, no. 3 (1990): 375-401.
---. "Hans Urs von Balthasar: Witness to the Integration of Faith and Culture." 18, no. 1 (1991): 111-26.
---. "Paradox and/or Supernatural Existential." 18, no. 2 (1991): 259-80.
---. "The New Catechism: An Event of the Faith. 21, no. 3 (1994): 385-98.
---. "'Woe to Me If I Do Not Preach the Gospel.'" 21, no. 4 (1994): 800-817.
---. "The Mystery of Easter and the Culture of Death." 23, no. 1 (1996): 5-15.
---. "The Message of Balthasar's Theology to Modern Theology." 23, no. 2 (1996): 270-99.
---. "Priestly Ministry at the Service of Ecclesial Communion." 23, no. 4 (1996): 677-87.
---. "Jesus Christ, the One Savior of the World, Yesterday, Today, and Forever." 24, no. 2 (1997): 221-33.
---. "The Spirit in the Life of the Trinity." 25, no. 2 (1998): 199-213.
---. "Trinity and Eucharist: A Covenantal Mystery." 27, no. 2 (2000): 262-83.
---. "Covenantal Justice." 27, no. 4 (2000): 619-33.
---. "Mary and the Future of Ecumenism." 30, no. 1 (2003): 26-38.
---. "Theological Perspectives on Marriage." 31, no. 3 (2004): 419�434.
Books
Details of these books can be found online
Divine Likeness: Toward A Trinitarian Anthropology Of The Family
Dieu plus merveilleux que..reves
Divine ressemblance
Le journaliste et le cardinal.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Synod of Bishops on the Word of God
Synod-So-Far Summarized in 19 Questions
Relator-General Concludes Interventions
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 15, 2008- The proposals arising from the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church were summarized this afternoon with 19 questions offered by the relator-general.
The questions were delivered today as part of a 70-minute Latin address by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Quebec City, which concluded the 5-minute interventions from the prelates and auditors. The address summarized all that has arisen thus far in the week and a half of synodal work, including some 230 interventions before the general congregations.
The questions range from fundamental issues, such as "what can be done to help the faithful better understand that the Word of God is Christ," to concrete suggestions, such as, "how to educate in the practice of lectio divina."
Cardinal Ouellet's address, given in the presence of Benedict XVI, will serve as a base for the working groups in the coming days.
These groups will prepare the proposals to synthesize the thought of the synod fathers, which will be given to the Pope as a fruit of the synod. These proposals will serve as a base for the Holy Father's postsynodal apostolic exhortation.
Here is a translation of the questions, which Cardinal Ouellet clarified are not an exhaustive list.
* * *
1. How can we help the faithful to understand better that the Word of God is Christ, the incarnate Word of God? How can we go deeper in the dialogue dimension of Revelation in theology and in Church practice?
2. What implications are drawn from the fact that the liturgical celebration is the ordinary place for and the summit of the Word of God?
3. How can we educate people in a living hearing of the Word of God, in the Church, for all people and every cultural level?
4. How can we educate people in lectio divina?
5. Is there a need for a compendium to help those preaching homilies better serve the Word of God? (The art of preaching -- "ars predicandi")
6. Is it possible to revise the Lectionary and modify the selections of the readings from the Old and New Testament?
7. What place does the ministerial character of the Word of God have, and what importance must be attributed to this?
8. How can we help people to better understand the intrinsic link between the Word and the Eucharist?
9. What means should be adopted for the translation and spreading of the Bible among the greatest possible number of cultures, in particular among the poor?
10. How can the relationship between exegetes, theologians and pastors be healed and their collaboration be stimulated?
11. How can we go deeper in the sense of Scripture and its interpretation, in the respect for and the balance between the word, the Spirit, the living tradition and the magisterium of the Church?
12. What is thought of the idea of a world conference on the Word of God promoted by the magisterium of the Church?
13. How can the search for the unity of Christians and dialogue with the Jews be developed more around the Word of God?
14. What is understood by a biblical animation of all ministry?
15. What questions merit a more detailed examination from the magisterium of the Church (inerrancy, pneumatology, relation of inspiration-Scripture-tradition-magisterium)
16. How can interreligious dialogue and the dogmatic affirmation of Christ, sole mediator, be reconciled?
17. How can knowledge of the Word of God through other means besides the biblical text be fostered (art, poetry, Internet, etc.)?
18. What philosophical formation is needed to better understand and interpret the Word of God and sacred Scripture?
19. What interpretive criteria of the Word of God ensure an authentic inculturation of the Gospel message?
Relator-General Concludes Interventions
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 15, 2008- The proposals arising from the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church were summarized this afternoon with 19 questions offered by the relator-general.
The questions were delivered today as part of a 70-minute Latin address by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Quebec City, which concluded the 5-minute interventions from the prelates and auditors. The address summarized all that has arisen thus far in the week and a half of synodal work, including some 230 interventions before the general congregations.
The questions range from fundamental issues, such as "what can be done to help the faithful better understand that the Word of God is Christ," to concrete suggestions, such as, "how to educate in the practice of lectio divina."
Cardinal Ouellet's address, given in the presence of Benedict XVI, will serve as a base for the working groups in the coming days.
These groups will prepare the proposals to synthesize the thought of the synod fathers, which will be given to the Pope as a fruit of the synod. These proposals will serve as a base for the Holy Father's postsynodal apostolic exhortation.
Here is a translation of the questions, which Cardinal Ouellet clarified are not an exhaustive list.
* * *
1. How can we help the faithful to understand better that the Word of God is Christ, the incarnate Word of God? How can we go deeper in the dialogue dimension of Revelation in theology and in Church practice?
2. What implications are drawn from the fact that the liturgical celebration is the ordinary place for and the summit of the Word of God?
3. How can we educate people in a living hearing of the Word of God, in the Church, for all people and every cultural level?
4. How can we educate people in lectio divina?
5. Is there a need for a compendium to help those preaching homilies better serve the Word of God? (The art of preaching -- "ars predicandi")
6. Is it possible to revise the Lectionary and modify the selections of the readings from the Old and New Testament?
7. What place does the ministerial character of the Word of God have, and what importance must be attributed to this?
8. How can we help people to better understand the intrinsic link between the Word and the Eucharist?
9. What means should be adopted for the translation and spreading of the Bible among the greatest possible number of cultures, in particular among the poor?
10. How can the relationship between exegetes, theologians and pastors be healed and their collaboration be stimulated?
11. How can we go deeper in the sense of Scripture and its interpretation, in the respect for and the balance between the word, the Spirit, the living tradition and the magisterium of the Church?
12. What is thought of the idea of a world conference on the Word of God promoted by the magisterium of the Church?
13. How can the search for the unity of Christians and dialogue with the Jews be developed more around the Word of God?
14. What is understood by a biblical animation of all ministry?
15. What questions merit a more detailed examination from the magisterium of the Church (inerrancy, pneumatology, relation of inspiration-Scripture-tradition-magisterium)
16. How can interreligious dialogue and the dogmatic affirmation of Christ, sole mediator, be reconciled?
17. How can knowledge of the Word of God through other means besides the biblical text be fostered (art, poetry, Internet, etc.)?
18. What philosophical formation is needed to better understand and interpret the Word of God and sacred Scripture?
19. What interpretive criteria of the Word of God ensure an authentic inculturation of the Gospel message?
Monday, June 23, 2008
Eglise Catholique de Quebec /Catholic Church of Quebec
Welcome to ECDQ.tv, the new media portal of the Catholic Church in Quebec City. This site is a window on the world aimed at covering, from a pastoral point of view, the main events promoted by the Catholic Church in Quebec City, such as, in the coming months, the 49th International Eucharistic Congress (IEC 2008).
Its Mission
This new internet portal will enable you to watch live or taped coverage of different Church events. You will be able to view various programs – commentaries, catecheses, documentaries, interviews and the like. You will also find newspaper articles , religious news and even photo galleries.
ECDQ.tv will also be a place for discussion and dialogue. You will have the opportunity of sharing and expressing your opinions on our blog or in virtual communities like Facebook and Second Life where ECDQ.tv will be present.
Already, and in the weeks to come you will find various video and multimedia programs on ECDQ.tv to help you in your spiritual preparation for the Eucharistic Congress 2008. Moreover, if you cannot manage to be in Quebec City in June 2008, you will be able to experience the happening in your own home thanks to the programming provided on the website.
After the IEC
ECDQ.tv was created for the Eucharistic Congress 2008, but it will continue its mission after the Congress as a new instrument of pastoral communication for the Catholic Church in Quebec City, developing avenues of dialogue between the Church, the faithful and people from all walks of life . You are invited to consult this site regularly to catch late-breaking news and exchange views with other visitors.
The Instigator
ECDQ.tv was founded on the instigation of his Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec City, a man of faith and vision who has a deep love for the living Church and wishes to see it open to the world. His daring and courage show the extent of his belief in the action of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. This new project manifests his special interest in new information technologies and, of course, his continual pastoral concern, which incites him to keep looking for new ways to enhance dialogue between the Church and the world.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Cardinal Ouellet Address on the Nature of the Media and the Mission of the Church
Cardinal Ouellet to Catholic Media Congress
"You Are Instruments of Hope to the Church and the World"
TORONTO, MAY 30, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the talk Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the archbishop of Quebec, gave today to the Catholic Media Convention 2008, which ends today in Toronto.
The theme of the congress is "Proclaim it From the Rooftops."
Cardinal Ouellet's talk is titled "The New Evangelization and the Mass Media."
* * *
I wish to thank the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada, the Catholic Academy of Communication Arts Professionals, the Association of Roman Catholic Communicators of Canada, and the convention organizers, Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., and Mr. Joseph Sinasac for their invitation to address this very important assembly of Catholic journalists and communicators from throughout North America.
I was delighted to hear that the theme of the 2008 convention is "Proclaim it from the rooftops." You have asked me to address the convention on a theme that is close to my heart and ministry: "The New Evangelization and the Mass Media." It is a vast topic that is also at the heart of the mission of the Church in this day and age.
The meaning of Evangelization
The word Evangelization comes from the Greek word for good news. The Good News, the Gospel of Jesus, tells us that God, our Creator, loves us and wants us to lead lives that will enable us to live in eternal joy. God sent Jesus to show us how to come to know, love and serve God. This is the source of our Evangelization. Believing this Good News impels us to share it with others. Evangelization becomes the mission of each Christian and the Christian community as a whole.
The Church always evangelizes and has never interrupted the path of evangelization. She celebrates the Eucharistic mystery every day, administers the sacraments, proclaims the word of life -- the Word of God, and commits herself to the causes of justice and charity. And this evangelization bears fruit: It gives light and joy, it gives the path of life to many people; many others live, often unknowingly, of the light and the warmth that radiate from this permanent Evangelization.
At the beginning of his public life Jesus says: I have come to evangelize the poor (Luke 4:18); this means: I have the response to your fundamental question; I will show you the path of life, the path toward happiness -- rather: I am that path. Our anointing in the Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation empowers us, like it did the early disciples, to proclaim the Good News to the "poor". By our words and actions we encourage those who are poor in their spiritual, economic or social lives to look to God for peace and health and to become part of the believing community. To evangelize means: to show this path -- to teach the art of living to others.
Evangelization is strengthened when it considers seriously the people to whom it is addressed, using their language, signs and symbols and answering the questions they ask, thus actually touching their daily lives. The New Testament shows the Church's deep respect for the context in which the Gospel is preached. Paul's letters pay careful attention to the prevailing atmosphere of each distinctive community. Mark places great emphasis on the mystery of the Cross. Luke, on the other hand, writes for the Gentile community that is amazed and grateful for God's love. Jesus preached by day, by night he prayed. His entire life was -- as demonstrated in a beautiful way in Luke's Gospel -- a path toward the cross, a journey up to Jerusalem. Jesus did not redeem the world with beautiful words but with his suffering and his death. His Passion is the inexhaustible source of life for the world; the Passion gives power to his words.
The Gospel also helps us recognize our own need to be evangelized. As the People of God immersed in the world, often tempted by our own false idols, we too need to examine the way we pray, celebrate and proclaim the Gospel. Our mission requires us first of all to create in the Church itself mutual esteem, reverence and harmony and to acknowledge all legitimate diversity. The ties which unite the faithful together are stronger than those which separate them. Let there be unity in what is necessary, freedom in what is doubtful and charity in everything.
The Holy Spirit is the prime agent of Evangelization, inspiring each of us to proclaim the Gospel and causing us to understand and accept the words of salvation in the depth of our being. Without the Holy Spirit, the most convincing arguments or most highly developed plans based on sociology or psychology are quickly seen to be without value.
Why we need a new Evangelization
The Evangelization of today's world -- the New Evangelization so often spoken about by the Servant of God John Paul II -- is a task in which the Church places great hope; yet the Church is fully aware of the innumerable obstacles she faces in this work due to the extraordinary changes happening at a personal and social level and, above all, to a postmodern culture in serious crisis.
How many times did the Servant of God John Paul II exhort the Church at the beginning of the third millennium about the mission of Evangelization! Listen to his words: "I have often repeated the call for a New Evangelization during these years. I repeat it again in order to emphasize that we must renew that original impulse and allow ourselves to be filled with the zeal of the apostolic preaching after Pentecost. We must awaken in ourselves those sentiments of St. Paul who exclaimed: "Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel!" (I Corinthians 9:16).
The greatest challenge facing the Church at the beginning of the new millennium is the task that has always been entrusted to her: Evangelization. The Church is called in every epoch, and therefore in our own, to embrace anew the missionary mandate of the Risen Christ: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20).
New Evangelization means: to dare, once again and with the humility of the small grain, to leave up to God the when and how it will grow (Mark 4:26-29). The sources are hidden -- they are too small. In other words: large realities begin in humility. In the process of the New Evangelization, we are often faced with the great temptation of impatience, the temptation of immediately finding the great success, in finding large numbers. But this is not God's way. For the Kingdom of God as well as for authentic Evangelization, the instrument and vehicle of the Kingdom of God, the parable of the grain of mustard seed is always valid (see Mark 4:31-32).
The deepest poverty is the inability of joy, the tediousness of a life considered absurd and contradictory. This poverty is widespread today, in very different forms in the materially rich as well as the poor countries. The inability of joy presupposes and produces the inability to love, produces jealousy, avarice -- all defects that devastate the life of individuals and of the world. This is precisely why we are in need of a New Evangelization -- if the art of living remains an unknown, nothing else works. But this art is not the object of a science -- this art can only be communicated by one who has life -- he who is the Gospel personified.
In his words to the German bishops in Cologne in August 2005, Pope Benedict XVI took up the theme of Evangelization once again: "We must reflect seriously on how we might carry out a true Evangelization today, not just a New Evangelization, but often a true first Evangelization. People don't know God, they don't know Christ. A new paganism is present, and it is not enough just to maintain the community of believers, although this is very important. (…) I believe that together we must find new ways of bringing the Gospel to today's world by preaching Christ anew and by establishing the faith."
Doctrinal Note on some Aspects of Evangelization
You are undoubtedly aware that last December, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a Doctrinal Note on some Aspects of Evangelization [December 14, 2007]. The document, which came as a surprise to many, actually contains some very important points to help us understand the heart of the Church's mission and method of Evangelization on our time.
The introduction to the document read: "This document is intended to recall to the Catholic faithful some fundamental principles regarding the proclamation of the Gospel in contemporary circumstances, by elucidating certain anthropological, ecclesiological and ecumenical implications of this important question."
I wish to highlight several critical points of this brief yet dense document:
…"to Evangelize does not mean simply to teach a doctrine, but to proclaim Jesus Christ by one's words and actions, that is, to make oneself an instrument of his presence and action in the world."
…"Social issues and the Gospel are inseparable. When we bring people only knowledge, ability, technical competence and tools, we bring them too little".
…"There is today, however, a growing confusion which leads many to leave the missionary command of the Lord unheard and ineffective" (cf. Mt 28:19).
…"some maintain that Christ should not be proclaimed to those who do not know him, nor should joining the Church be promoted, since it would also be possible to be saved without explicit knowledge of Christ and without formal incorporation in the Church."
…"Today, however, with ever-increasing frequency, questions are being raised about the legitimacy of presenting to others - so that they might in turn accept it - that which is held to be true for oneself. Often this is seen as an infringement of other people's freedom. Such a vision of human freedom, separated from its integral reference to truth, is one of the expressions "of that relativism which, recognizing nothing as definitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires and under the semblance of freedom, becomes a prison for each one".
…"In the various forms of agnosticism and relativism present in contemporary thought, "a legitimate plurality of positions has yielded to an undifferentiated pluralism, based upon the assumption that all positions are equally valid, which is one of today's most widespread symptoms of the lack of confidence in truth."
…"Spiritual individualism, on the other hand, isolates a person, hindering him from opening in trust to others -- so as both to receive and to bestow the abundant goods which nourish his freedom - and jeopardizes the right to manifest one's own convictions and opinions in society."
…"Although non-Christians can be saved through the grace which God bestows in "ways known to him", the Church cannot fail to recognize that such persons are lacking a tremendous benefit in this world: to know the true face of God and the friendship of Jesus Christ, God-with-us."
…"Evangelization also involves a sincere dialogue that seeks to understand the reasons and feelings of others."
…"the Church severely prohibits forcing people to embrace the faith or leading or enticing them by improper techniques; by the same token, she also strongly defends the right that no one be deterred from the faith by deplorable ill treatment".
…"The Kingdom of God is not - as some maintain today - a generic reality above all religious experiences and traditions, to which they tend as a universal and indistinct communion of all those who seek God, but it is, before all else, a person with a name and a face: Jesus of Nazareth, the image of the unseen God".
…"The growth of the Church in history, which results from missionary activity, is at the service of the presence of God through his Kingdom: one cannot in fact "detach the Kingdom from the Church".
…"For a long time, the reason for evangelization has not been clear to many among the Catholic faithful. It is even stated that the claim to have received the gift of the fullness of God's revelation masks an attitude of intolerance and a danger to peace.
…At the present time, with so many people in the world living in different types of desert, above all, in the "desert of God's darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life", Pope Benedict XVI has recalled to the world that "the Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance".
…"even witness by itself is not enough "because even the finest witness will prove ineffective in the long run, if it is not explained, justified - what Peter called 'giving a reason for the hope that is in you' (1 Pet 3:15) -- and made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus".
The doctrinal note had been in reserve for a number of years, from when Joseph Ratzinger was still prefect of the doctrinal congregation. What made it "necessary" -- as the introduction states -- was the "growing confusion" over the Church's duty to proclaim Jesus to the world.
Above all, there is the idea that every religion is a way of salvation as valid as all the rest. Then there is the conviction that proposing Christian truth to others is an attack on their freedom. Then there is a conception of the Kingdom of God that is not identified in the person of Jesus Christ, but in "a generic reality that overarches all the religious experiences or traditions, toward which these should incline as toward a universal and indistinct communion of all those who seek God." Then again there is the idea that "the pretense of having received as a gift the fullness of God's Revelation conceals an attitude of intolerance and a threat to peace."
To be concrete, the document tries to deal with:
A false sense of social justice, social concerns and political correctness;
A separation of the Proclamation of the Kingdom from the reality of the Church;
Challenges flowing from Ecumenism and the Missionary dimension of the Church.
On the positive side, the note from the Vatican congregation urges unconditional obedience to the commandment of Jesus: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Reading the document carefully, we cannot help but think of Orthodox Russia. The doctrinal note states -- dialogue with non-Catholic Christians must be "not only an exchange of ideas, but of gifts, so that they may be offered the fullness of the means of salvation." Our thought turns immediately to the Muslim countries. In them, both preaching and conversion have always been dangerous, and still are today, at the risk of life itself. But the note states:
"Martyrdom itself gives credibility to the witnesses, who do not seek power or gain, but give their own lives for Christ. They show to the world the power, weaponless and full of love for men, that is given to those who follow Christ to the point of the total donation of their existence. Thus Christians, from the dawn of Christianity until our own time, have undergone persecution on account of the Gospel, as Jesus proclaimed beforehand: If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20)."
Clearly this doctrinal note lays a solid foundation for the Evangelization efforts of the Catholic Church.
Evangelization and Mass Media
In the Post Synodal Exhortation "Ecclesia in America", Pope John Paul II wrote prophetically [#72]: "For the new evangelization to be effective, it is essential to have a deep understanding of the culture of our time in which the social communications media are most influential. Therefore, knowledge and use of the media, whether the more traditional forms or those which technology has produced in recent times, is indispensable. Contemporary reality demands a capacity to learn the language, nature and characteristics of mass media. Using the media correctly and competently can lead to a genuine inculturation of the Gospel."
It's not always easy for a church steeped in centuries of tradition to adapt to a modern communication's culture. Let us never forget that the church IS communication and therefore the church media work is inextricably linked with its other Evangelization efforts. Communication planning recognizes and understands the nature of the church as communication and genuinely takes its cues from Jesus and New Testament imagery and symbolism as interpreted for our culture and times.
Communications and media are much more than technical facilities. While these are vital, at the heart of communications are people, resources and funds, developed for specific purposes. They call for a missionary engagement with modern culture, for mission is constitutive of the Church. God transcends culture but also meets us in our culture.
The role of the media is an indispensable cultural web of communication. Christianity has always been mediated and its message, and the image and message of the church, is linked to the nature of its mediation. It recognizes the incarnation as an ongoing process of Evangelization and therefore the necessity of finding ways and means of spreading the Word in every age.
In this year's papal message for the 42nd World Day of Social Communications that we commemorated on Ascension Sunday (May 4), Pope Benedict XVI said the role of social communications "must now be considered an integral part of the 'anthropological' question that is emerging as the key challenge of the third millennium."
The Pope explained: "Just as we see happening in areas such as human life, marriage and the family, and in the great contemporary issues of peace, justice and protection of creation, so too in the sector of social communications there are essential dimensions of the human person and the truth concerning the human person coming into play.
"When communication loses its ethical underpinning and eludes society's control, it ends up no longer taking into account the centrality and inviolable dignity of the human person. As a result it risks exercising a negative influence on people's consciences and choices and definitively conditioning their freedom and their very lives."
The Pope expressed his enthusiasm about the media's potential: "One might even say that seeking and presenting the truth about humanity constitutes the highest vocation of social communication. Utilizing for this purpose the many refined and engaging techniques that the media have at their disposal is an exciting task.
Benedict concluded the message urging prayer to the Holy Spirit, that he may "raise up courageous communicators and authentic witnesses to the truth."
My friends, delegates to this important convention in Toronto, we must pray in the Church not only for more vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life and married life, but also vocations to your noble calling of Catholic journalists, communicators and media agents. You are instruments of hope to the Church and the world. You must influence your brothers and sisters and colleagues who work in the secular media and help them to avoid the risk of being transformed into systems aimed at subjecting humanity to agendas dictated by the dominant interests of the day. This is the challenge facing the media, the challenge we must all face in our daily lives in order to become men and women who show solidarity to all mankind.
I invite each of you currently working, or wishing to work in the important field of Catholic communications and media, to make yourselves familiar with the considerable volume of official Church teaching on social communications, "Inter Mirifica," "Aetatis Novae," "Communio et Progressio," "Letter to Artists," "Rapid Development," etc., to name just a few. We need to accept this teaching trustfully, and teach it faithfully.
The International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City
Dear Friends, how could I stand before such a prestigious group of media experts today and not say something about a project that has occupied my mind and pastoral efforts since I became Archbishop of Quebec City in 2003? I speak here about the International Eucharistic Congress that will take place in Quebec City two weeks from now.
The theme for this global Meeting recalls the Gift of God who is Holy Eucharist for the Life of the World. It is a theme chosen in recognition both of the 400th anniversary of the foundation of the City of Quebec, and also of the need to give new life to our consciousness of the Christian roots of our country. In the midst of enviable progress in social needs, Canada is still strongly marked by the secularization of mindset and habit shown by religious indifference which John Paul II called the 'culture of death'. I stand before you today and sincerely ask you to help us tell the story of the Congress to the entire world. You are, in many ways, the privileged ambassadors of the International Eucharistic Congress.
The Eucharist, Gift of God for the Life of the World
The opening of the Congress on Sunday, the 15th of June, will focus on the welcoming of delegates and the invocation of the Holy Spirit who reminds the church of all that Jesus did and then left in our care. We will begin the work directly related to the theme on Monday June 16 with the catechesis on the Eucharist, Gift of God. This catechesis will speak of the institution of the Eucharist as liturgical rite, a tangible testament of Jesus, ordained and ordered as a covenantal act to be celebrated as a mark of belonging to the community of disciples, an identifying sign which defines the community and qualifies its faith and its action
The second day, June 17, will concentrate on the content of the rite. The question is no longer 'what did Jesus do at the last supper?' but rather 'what does this rite speak of? What is the content of this memorial?' This question draws us into that sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist, which needs deepening today. There is a tendency to ignore this aspect in favour of the social dimension, and so condemn this one to superficiality.
On Wednesday, June 18, delegates are invited to explore the first result of this gift of God, in the light of the encyclical "Ecclesia de Eucharistia." In giving himself (and in being received in the faith of the Church,) the Eucharistic Christ founds the Church, he makes the Church his own body and even his spouse, he opens up the communion of divine persons for the communion of human persons who believe in Him.
From Thursday, June 19, to Saturday, June 21, the focus is on the third part: Eucharist for the life of the world. What life do we speak of? The life of Christ, which penetrates our lives and draws us by faith in his act of love for the Father, of adoration, of praise and thanksgiving. The focus of Thursday is on adoration, as the evening concludes with a public procession with the Blessed Sacrament in the heart of the city. In the context of the present World food crisis, this procession will also be a call for Bread to the poor.
The theme of Friday is the Eucharist and mission. The gift of God draws us into sharing, into compassion, into the search for justice and tangible charity at the heart of the realities of the world. What is the ethical mandate that runs through our Eucharistic celebrations, and how does that affect the social realities, the poverty, ignorance, injustice and war?
Finally, the week concludes with a catechesis on ordinary holiness at the heart of the world, inspired and nourished by the Eucharist. Two specific testimonies will be highlighted -- that of spouses who form their family on the basis of sacramental marriage, becoming therefore a domestic Church; and that of consecrated life under all its forms, which witness to the passion of the spousal love the church has for its Eucharistic spouse, and which wants to respond to him with the same love by which it is loved by him.
The 2008 International Eucharistic Congress of Quebec is a great opportunity for Canada to proclaim to the whole world the values which have been the envy of other countries, and to re-actualize the historic and cultural patrimony of holiness and social engagement of the Church which draws its roots from the Eucharistic mystery, Gift of God for the Life of the World.
What can you do as a Catholic journalist, writer, media agent to make know the riches of this year's International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City? Allow me to offer you some answers to these questions.
The International Eucharistic Congress is a gift and invitation from the Holy Father to the whole world, especially to the Church in North America. We need you very much to assist us. First by your fervent prayers to Almighty God that the Congress will reawaken the faith and ecclesial life of the people of Canada, especially the people of Quebec. For many dioceses throughout North America, there is a direct link to Quebec, which gave birth to the Church on our continent. In praying for the Congress in Quebec City, and coming to Quebec City, you are praying for the Mother Church to so many local churches who are beneficiaries of the faith and witness of the Catholic Church in Quebec.
Second, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, as Pope John Paul II, and now Pope Benedict XVI, have repeated so often in their magnificent teachings. We are invited to celebrate this Congress together, for in living deeply the Eucharistic life, we are touching the core of our ecclesial life and existence. And we contribute to foster in the world a culture of life and solidarity, a civilization of love.
Third, let the world know that people still hunger today for the Bread that gives life, hope and true freedom. Proclaim this message and good news from the rooftops! This is the living Bread that is Jesus. The Congress is not only about small details and the management of large crowds: it is a countersign to a culture that lives on fast food and quick fixes. The Congress will speak about the food and the hunger that give meaning to human life. We rely on each and every one of you to help us tell this story not just to the Catholic community but also to the entire world. It is truly a privileged moment of the New Evangelization!
Conclusion
Let me conclude my remarks with the words of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II, in his message for World Media Day on January 24, 2000. His thoughts express deeply my hopes, desires and wishes for each of you: "To proclaim Christ in the media at the dawn of the new millennium is not only a necessary part of the Church's evangelizing mission; it is also a vital, inspiring and hope-filled enrichment of the media's message. May God abundantly bless all those who honor and proclaim His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the vast world of the means of social communication."
I look forward to welcoming many of you to my diocese in a few weeks. As we say in Quebec, "Au revoir et à bientôt."
Thank you and may God bless you!
Monday, May 19, 2008
2008 International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City
A Eucharistic procession through the streets of Quebec City
Cardinal Marc Ouellet and the 2008 International Eucharistic Congress (2008 IEC) organizers invite the public to take part in a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Quebec City. The procession will be held on June 19 at 7 p.m., starting from Colisée Pepsi and ending at the Agora in the city’s Old Port. The procession will cover 5.1 km and will include a number of planned stops.
This public activity will enable 2008 IEC pilgrims and Quebec City residents to meet together. Some 15,000 people are expected to take part in the procession, which will be led by a vehicle carrying the Blessed Sacrament, papal legate Jozef Tomko, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet. For the occasion, the vehicle will be baptized Thabor for the highly symbolic Mount Thabor in Palestine.
Enormous banners and giants will accompany the marchers. These representations of saints and blesseds from Quebec will highlight the Catholic Church of Quebec’s contribution to the city’s development.
Stops at various locations are planned all along the route. The first stop is scheduled for around 7:30 p.m. at Église Saint-François-d’Assise, where various people will have gathered to welcome the marchers. Cardinal Tomko will enter the church with the Blessed Sacrament and bless the assembly gathered there.
Around 9 p.m., the marchers will stop at Église Saint-Roch and welcome all gathered there. This stop will highlight the many social and community initiatives that began in the St-Roch district. As at Église Saint-François-d’Assise, the legate will visit the sacred church.
Here, pilgrims may light their candle for the final stage of the procession to the Agora. About 20 minutes before arriving at the final destination, the Gen Verde group will take the stage. Radio Galilée will provide live coverage of the event, which will be broadcast on the FM dial at 90.9. The 2008 IEC organizers suggest that marchers use a walkman to listen to the broadcast during the procession. Vehicles equipped with a sound system will also broadcast the event. The activity will end around 10:30 p.m., and public transit (RTC) will be available to return pilgrims to Expocité.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Primate of Canada visits OLSWA
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
From its humble beginnings in 2000, the year of the Jubilee, your institution has grown steadily in great fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, following faithfully the principles laid out in Pope John Paul II's Ex Corde Ecclesiae. You strive to offer a strong academic programme as well as a Catholic way of life on your campus, which motivate the students both intellectually and spiritually. I congratulate you for your efforts.
I read with pleasure that Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy is one of only twenty-one Catholic post-secondary institutions, to be listed in The Newman Guide to choosing a Catholic College (2008-2009). They represent the top 10 percent of Cathlic Colleges in the United States chosen for their academic excellence and identity. The fact that your College is the only institution in Canada to receive this recognition is impressive.
I wish you well in your endeavor to obtain the right to grant academic degrees. The quality of the post-secondary education you offer is already recognized by some very good Colleges and Universities in the United States, which accept your students in their last year of their Undergraduate studies. It seems right that you should now be granted full recognition as a degree-granting institution.
May Our Lady of Schools, Mother of Knowledge and Love, who brought a delegation of your Academy to the Cathedral of Quebec City on her Feast day last October, give you light and guidance "so that under her protection you may fulfill your mission as Catholic educators, serving God, the Church and our Country".
Quebec City, March 27, 2008
Thursday, November 29, 2007
English Translation of Cardinal Ouellet's Statement Seeking Forgiveness
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Quebec and primate of the Catholic Church in Canada, made front page news Nov. 21 with the publication in daily newspapers across the province of an open letter asking forgiveness for the sins of past church leaders. Below is an English translation.
Following my intervention at the Bouchard-Taylor commission, your comments have been many and varied. I have read all of them with great care, whether they came in the mail or through the media. I thank you for the messages of support, I also thank you for the criticism which has made me reflect and prompted this open letter, which seeks to deepen reflection, dispel misunderstandings and promote dialogue in a spirit of peace and reconciliation.In response to my analysis of the Quebecois malaise I have heard “finally, it’s about time!” as well as “what a step backward!” Let’s be clear. I am not asking for Quebec society to go back to 1950. From a sociological and cultural point of view, pluralism and secularism have made their home in Quebec and we must be proud of the gains made in the areas of the economy, health, culture, social services, education, politics and dynamism of Quebec society. Quebec has an enviable living standard, a culture of liberty and tolerance, an openess to immigration and a load of talent in arts and culture. But a fact remains: its search for spirituality is languishing. Perhaps was it impeded by the excessive authority of the Church? Or perhaps has it not received the education necessary to its needs? The spiritual void which I have mentioned is the fruit of the spirit of the world which, by wanting to eliminate God, suggests, in a thousand ways, that we become our own God. Reluctance to procreate, to spawn life, compromises Quebec’s future, and its youth seeks role-models which are cruelly lacking. We need a serious dialogue on values and our Christian stance to once again give faith and hope to Quebec’s soul.The Catholic Church has no lack of exemplary figures who have marked our society’s history. Secular people, men and women, religious people, left behind memorable traces, a precious heritage in the fields of health, education and evangelism. Pope John Paul II canonized and beatified 14 of these figures during his pontificate. But, unfortunately, they are too little known.Much more attention is given to the church’s negative side than to its contribution to active Quebec history and culture. A just and enlightened exam of our past would help, I think, recognize our limits but also nourrish Quebecers’ pride and confidence in their future.Inspired by the gesture of John Paul II in March of 2000, of which I have born witness, I am inviting Catholics to perform an act of repentance and reconciliation. Quebec society drags a wounded history whose bad memories block access to the sources of its soul and religious identity. The time has come to take stock and make a new start. Errors were committed which have tarnished the image of the church and for which we must humbly ask for forgiveness. I am inviting pastors and the faithful to help me seek the manner with which to recognize our mistakes and deficiencies, so as to help our society reconcile with its Christian past.As Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada, I recognize that the narrow attitudes of certain Catholics, prior to 1960, favoured anti-Semitism, racism, indifference toward First Nations and discrimination against women and homosexuals. The behaviour of Catholics and certain episcopal authorities with regards to the right to vote, access to work and promotion of women, hasn’t always been up to par with society’s needs or conformed to the social doctrine of the church. I also recognize that abuses of power and cover-ups have, for many, tarnished the image of the clergy and its moral authority: mothers have been rebuffed by priests without concern for their family obligations; youngsters were subject to sexual aggression by priests and
Following my intervention at the Bouchard-Taylor commission, your comments have been many and varied. I have read all of them with great care, whether they came in the mail or through the media. I thank you for the messages of support, I also thank you for the criticism which has made me reflect and prompted this open letter, which seeks to deepen reflection, dispel misunderstandings and promote dialogue in a spirit of peace and reconciliation.In response to my analysis of the Quebecois malaise I have heard “finally, it’s about time!” as well as “what a step backward!” Let’s be clear. I am not asking for Quebec society to go back to 1950. From a sociological and cultural point of view, pluralism and secularism have made their home in Quebec and we must be proud of the gains made in the areas of the economy, health, culture, social services, education, politics and dynamism of Quebec society. Quebec has an enviable living standard, a culture of liberty and tolerance, an openess to immigration and a load of talent in arts and culture. But a fact remains: its search for spirituality is languishing. Perhaps was it impeded by the excessive authority of the Church? Or perhaps has it not received the education necessary to its needs? The spiritual void which I have mentioned is the fruit of the spirit of the world which, by wanting to eliminate God, suggests, in a thousand ways, that we become our own God. Reluctance to procreate, to spawn life, compromises Quebec’s future, and its youth seeks role-models which are cruelly lacking. We need a serious dialogue on values and our Christian stance to once again give faith and hope to Quebec’s soul.The Catholic Church has no lack of exemplary figures who have marked our society’s history. Secular people, men and women, religious people, left behind memorable traces, a precious heritage in the fields of health, education and evangelism. Pope John Paul II canonized and beatified 14 of these figures during his pontificate. But, unfortunately, they are too little known.Much more attention is given to the church’s negative side than to its contribution to active Quebec history and culture. A just and enlightened exam of our past would help, I think, recognize our limits but also nourrish Quebecers’ pride and confidence in their future.Inspired by the gesture of John Paul II in March of 2000, of which I have born witness, I am inviting Catholics to perform an act of repentance and reconciliation. Quebec society drags a wounded history whose bad memories block access to the sources of its soul and religious identity. The time has come to take stock and make a new start. Errors were committed which have tarnished the image of the church and for which we must humbly ask for forgiveness. I am inviting pastors and the faithful to help me seek the manner with which to recognize our mistakes and deficiencies, so as to help our society reconcile with its Christian past.As Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada, I recognize that the narrow attitudes of certain Catholics, prior to 1960, favoured anti-Semitism, racism, indifference toward First Nations and discrimination against women and homosexuals. The behaviour of Catholics and certain episcopal authorities with regards to the right to vote, access to work and promotion of women, hasn’t always been up to par with society’s needs or conformed to the social doctrine of the church. I also recognize that abuses of power and cover-ups have, for many, tarnished the image of the clergy and its moral authority: mothers have been rebuffed by priests without concern for their family obligations; youngsters were subject to sexual aggression by priests and
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Letter Ouverte aux Catholiques du Quebec: A La Recherche de la fierte Quebecoise
Letter Ouverte aux Catholiques du Quebec: A La Recherche de la fierte Quebecoise
http://www.diocesequebec.qc.ca/babillard/documents/alarecherchedelafiertequebecoise.pdf
http://www.diocesequebec.qc.ca/babillard/documents/alarecherchedelafiertequebecoise.pdf
Cardinal Ouellet's Statement of Apology for Sins of the Church in Quebec
Dear Friends,
To see John Zucchi's interview with CTV regarding Cardinal Ouellet's statement of apology, please use the following link:
www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews
There will also be an article published in The Gazette on Sunday. Here is the link: http://www.canada.com/montrealg
Chers amis,
Pour voir l'entrevue de John Zucchi avec CTV, en ce qui concerne la déclaration d'excuse par le Cardinal Ouellet, voir le lien suivant:
www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews
Ainsi, ce dimanche, il y aura un article publié dans La Gazette. Le lien est:
http://www.canada.com/montrealg
Thursday, May 31, 2007
MARIAGE ET SOCIÉTÉ
MARIAGE ET SOCIÉTÉ -par: Cardinal Marc Ouellet
Pour un vote libre et éclairé à la chambre des communes
Le Gouvernement du Canada a annoncé son intention de présenter un projet de loi dès le
début de la prochaine session pour changer la définition traditionnelle du mariage. Ce projet
inclurait les partenaires de même sexe dans le même cadre juridique que le rapport conjugal
entre un homme et une femme.
En tant que citoyen canadien et Primat du Canada, je tiens à exprimer mon inquiétude et mon
désaccord ainsi que ceux d’un grand nombre de canadiennes et de canadiens qui me prient
d’intervenir pour faire valoir leur opinion sur la signification et les conséquences d’un tel
changement.
Ébranlé par la forte opposition au projet de loi de juin 2003, le gouvernement libéral de
Monsieur Jean Chrétien soumit le libellé d’une nouvelle définition civile du mariage à la Cour
suprême du Canada qui le déclara compatible avec la Constitution canadienne le 9 décembre
2004. L’avis unanime de la Cour suprême est certes d’un grand poids dans l’opinion publique,
mais il importe de dissiper la confusion entourant sa portée. La responsabilité de légiférer
relève du parlement fédéral, auquel revient la décision d’adapter le cadre législatif régissant le
mariage civil à l’évolution culturelle et sociale de la société canadienne.
Contrairement à l’interprétation courante des médias, cet avis de la Cour suprême n’a donc
pas force de loi et n’a encore rien changé au cadre juridique. Il revient au parlement de
décider sur ce sujet de très haute importance pour l’avenir de notre société et de ses valeurs
fondamentales. Les juges de la Cour suprême, le plus haut tribunal de notre pays, l’ont
reconnu explicitement en refusant de répondre à la quatrième question proposée par le
gouvernement actuel « La définition du mariage en droit civil, c’est-à-dire l’union de deux
personnes de sexe opposé, est-elle conforme à la Charte ? ».
Faut-il changer la définition du mariage dans le contexte actuel de la société canadienne, et
reconnaître le droit au mariage aux personnes d’orientation homosexuelle qui le désirent ? Le
débat sur cette question ne fait que commencer. Je souhaite qu’il soit précis et sérieux pour
que les parlementaires puissent voter en toute liberté, avec une conscience éclairée sur les
enjeux et les implications d’une telle législation.
Depuis l’adoption des diverses chartes concernant les droits et libertés, un mouvement
d’opinion s’est développé de façon concertée et continue. Il fait pression pour bannir toute
discrimination à l’égard des personnes d’orientation homosexuelle. Ce changement de
mentalité favorise l’accueil et le respect de leurs droits de même que leur égalité de traitement
dans la société. Ces personnes ont souffert de certaines injustices qui ont été en grande partie
corrigées, et un nouveau climat culturel facilite désormais leur vie en société. Il existe déjà
dans certaines provinces la forme juridique de l’union civile qui garantit aux personnes
d’orientation homosexuelle certains bénéfices sociaux et patrimoniaux. Ce cadre juridique
protège leur droit.
Ce constat étant fait et accepté, nous atteignons maintenant un seuil critique dans l’évolution
sociale et culturelle à ce sujet et il faut réfléchir très sérieusement avant de le franchir. Le
2
changement proposé touche l’institution la plus fondamentale et la valeur première de la
société : le mariage et la famille, réalités présentes dans l’histoire humaine avant toute forme
d’État et de loi. En effet, procéder à un tel changement signifierait dénaturer l’institution du
mariage en méconnaissant deux de ses finalités essentielles : la procréation et l’éducation des
enfants, dans le contexte de l’amour d’un homme et d’une femme qui assure l’avenir de la
société. L’union des personnes de même sexe ne peut pas apporter cette contribution
essentielle à la société, faute de cette complémentarité proprement conjugale qui définit
l’institution du mariage. Vouloir inclure deux réalités si différentes sous une même catégorie
juridique signifie méconnaître leur essence et même fausser le sens des mots qui doivent
désigner la réalité objective et non ajuster cette réalité à nos désirs.
Quant à l’éducation des enfants, les situations familiales sont très variées dans notre société.
Ceci n’empêche pas la majorité de rester convaincue que l’enfant bénéficiant de la présence et
de l’interaction éducative d’un père et d’une mère est grandement aidé dans son processus de
croissance. La loi n’a pas à affirmer qu’un autre modèle de couple serait aussi valable pour
soutenir cette croissance. Car ceci équivaudrait à opérer une discrimination entre une
catégorie d’enfants qui ont droit à l’éducation d’un père et d’une mère et une autre catégorie
d’enfants qui n’y auront pas droit. Dans l’esprit de la Charte des droits et libertés, l’avenir
des enfants doit demeurer une priorité.
Même au risque d’être jugé «politiquement incorrect», je rappelle qu’un tel projet de loi
heurte le sens moral et la sensibilité religieuse d’un grand nombre de citoyennes et de
citoyens, catholiques ou non catholiques. En effet, beaucoup de chrétiens ainsi que des
personnes d’autres traditions religieuses jugent moralement inacceptable l’union de personnes
de même sexe, même s’ils s’abstiennent de les juger.
De plus, on ne peut sous-estimer l’impact éducatif d’une telle législation qui aurait comme
effet de semer la confusion, entre autres chez les jeunes, et de troubler la conscience des
personnes. Nous ne devons pas oublier que chaque loi est l’expression de valeurs partagées
qui façonnent la culture d’une société. Les responsables du cadre législatif ne peuvent
l’ignorer.
Nous sommes donc à un tournant dans l’évolution de la société canadienne et le projet de loi
annoncé prépare rien de moins qu’un bouleversement culturel aux retombées encore
imprévisibles. La forte réaction de la population face à ce projet de loi indique que le bon sens
a encore de bonnes chances de triompher. La décision politique à prendre dans les
circonstances est de reconfirmer la définition traditionnelle du mariage qui est «l’union
légitime d’un homme et d’une femme à l’exclusion de toute autre personne».
La question qui se pose à la société canadienne est la suivante : Voulons-nous écarter la
définition universelle du mariage qui reflète la nature des choses, le sens commun de la
population, la tradition judéo-chrétienne et la sagesse des grandes religions ? Le choix à faire
peut entraîner des conséquences amères et regrettables sur les plans démographique, social,
culturel et religieux. Les membres du Parlement sont responsables de servir l’intérêt public en
votant selon une conscience éclairée. Qu’un véritable débat de société nous aide à voir clair
et à choisir en toute lucidité.
Marc Cardinal Ouellet
Archevêque de Québec et Primat du Canada
22 janvier 2005
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