By Pete Vere
OTTAWA, OCT. 6, 2008 (Zenit.org).- In an environment where the mainstream media virtually ignores positive news regarding the Church, there's a lot of work to be done to make the truth known, says the archbishop of Ottawa.
Archbishop Terrence Prendergast was the archbishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for almost 10 years before being appointed last year to lead the Diocese of Ottawa, which covers the capital of Canada.
As Canadians are set to head to the polls on Oct. 14, ZENIT spoke with the archbishop about the upcoming parliamentary elections, and the issues he believes to be relevant to voters.
Q: Your Grace, just a little over a year has passed since you were installed as the archbishop of Ottawa. What are some of the unique challenges to being bishop of the nation's capital?
Archbishop Predergast: For me the biggest challenge, which I am still facing, is to get to know the archdiocese and its members: There are 51 French-speaking parishes and 61 English-speaking and ethnic parishes with a complexity beyond that which I knew in Halifax, though I had some familiarity with these matters in my three and half years as auxiliary bishop in Toronto. We have four Catholic school boards -- two English, two French -- so I have begun to visit schools and hear from the students their concerns and try to answer their thought-provoking questions.
I have not treated politicians differently in the sense of singling them out over the past 15 months; still I have begun to encounter public servants at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. They have been uniformly cordial and kind.
Perhaps because Ottawa is such a political town, inevitably things I say have a wider ripple effect than I might have anticipated. Such was the case when I answered a Theology on Tap session about the possibility of denying Hholy Communion to a politician who espoused, for example, a pro-abortion position. I explained that the canon in question was clear that certain conditions would have to be fulfilled but, in the end, inviting a public figure to refrain from receiving holy Communion because they were “out of communion” with the Church on a serious matter was a medicinal approach by the Church to draw the person back to the way that leads to salvation and eternal life.
Initially, the lone reporter present did a sidebar story -- as the topic of the night was the Eucharistic Congress -- which a single Catholic newspaper in Western Canada ran. But the media in Ottawa picked up on it and made it a headline story.
I’m still in the process of getting to know the men and women who serve in public office, but I hope they know I value their sacrifices to serve the public good and that I also care for their spiritual well-being, even if that might cause them to reflect on their political stances.
Q: Does your ministry as archbishop change in such a highly political milieu?
Archbishop Prendergast: I am not aware of carrying on my ministry any differently than I did in Nova Scotia: My concern here, as there, is for all the Lord’s flock in the portion of his vineyard entrusted to me by the Holy Father. What may be a bit different now is that I am increasingly convinced that one needs to make common cause with others who share the same vision of man and society as Christ’s Church does.
In Canada ’s Maritime Provinces, this meant seeking out the assistance of Evangelical Christians; here in the nation’s capital that means making common cause with those of the many world religions present here who see the importance of faith in the public domain.
For example, a few weeks ago a well-regarded local rabbi and I issued a joint statement on our concern for the consciences of doctors and other medical personal when the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), prodded by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, proposed that doctors who have a conflict of conscience -- such as in cases of abortion, artificial insemination, etc. -- should refer the patient someone to a doctor who will perform the procedure that the medical professional believes in conscience is immoral or risk being cited for discrimination.
The initial CPSO proposal was dropped, but the revised formulation on this issue still gives cause for worry. All who are religiously motivated must be concerned.
Q: There is currently a federal election in Canada. What are some of the issues and concerns faced by Catholic voters in the country?
Archbishop Prendergast: The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops proposed a short study guide for Catholics, urging them to get involved in the political process -- expressing gratitude to those who present themselves as candidates -- and giving four main points for those serious about bringing their faith to bear in addressing important issues at election time.
They consist chiefly in: 1) the right to life placed as the foundational principle grounding all others. For example, by opposing those who favor abortion, and by asking candidates whether they would vote in favor of euthanasia if a bill were introduced in Parliament; 2) giving priority to care for the poor and needy as a mark of respect for the dignity of each person from the moment of conception until natural death; 3) seeking clarity about the purpose of the war in Afghanistan; 4) and care for the environment as an aspect of the stewardship of creation.
Except for the introduction of the environment as an issue in the federal electoral campaign on account of the growing popularity of the Green Party, few of the themes enunciated by the bishops have been prominent in pre-election debate. In fact, there seems to be a conspiracy of silence in regard to the abortion question, all parties being either pro-abortion or unwilling to let the matter come up for discussion. This is most frustrating for those who espouse the cause of life.
Q: Catholics often feel homeless within the political process. One political party supports Church teaching on life and family, but not on social justice. Whereas with another political party the situation is reversed. How do Catholics reconcile these differences in the voting booth?
Archbishop Prendergast: Many Canadians seem to prefer a minority Parliament in which cooperation has to be fostered to bring about the common good. In that light, the values and principles of the individual Member of Parliament -- from whichever party -- should perhaps be given greater weight than the party he or she represents.
Electing even a small minority in the House of Commons with sound ethical considerations will open the door to the possibility of affirming life, for example, through introducing legislation to reduce and eventually proscribe abortion, or in preventing legislation to introduce euthanasia as a beginning. The steadfastness in witnessing to life will, I believe, ultimately prevail because it is of God.
Q: Over the past year, much attention has been drawn to Canada 's human rights commissions and tribunals, especially in light of Canada 's recognition of same-sex marriage. Several activists have launched complaints against Christians who advocate returning to the traditional definition of marriage. Have the human rights commissions and religious freedom been a topic during the election?
Archbishop Prendergast: The human rights commissions and tribunals have been a background issue, which, unfortunately, goes largely unnoticed due to the lack of interest by most of the mainstream media -- MSM. The MSM in effect sets the tone of what gets discussed; I discovered this last May when last year’s largest demonstration on Parliament Hill -- the March for Life -- received not a single mention in the MSM. Morning news reports urged people to avoid streets around the Peace Tower that afternoon because of a demonstration, without mentioning what the demonstration was about. A procession of 150 Falun Gong demonstrators merits front-page coverage; an 8,000-strong “March for Life” becomes a nonevent. We have much work to do to make the truth known.
Q: What are some issues that you, as pastor to the nation's capital, would like to see discussed this election?
Archbishop Prendergast: Besides the items mentioned above, I believe we need to bring the concerns of the marginal of society to the fore: particularly the state of poverty among our First Nations Peoples.
Q: What can lay Catholics do to ensure that the Catholic voice is heard during the election?
Archbishop Prendergast: Politicians tell me that the most important influence in their representation of the concerns of the electorate is what they hear when canvassing on people’s doorsteps. Clearly they are not hearing enough about concerns that our faith considers urgent. We need to become courageous in making known our concerns about life, the family and marriage to those campaigning for public office.
ZE08100607 - 2008-10-06
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-23827?l=english
Canada's Election-Year Challenges
Interview With Ottawa's Archbishop Prendergast
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