Readers Speak Out: February 28, 2021

Bad match

Re: Missal updated in Canada (Feb. 21):

Changing the Collect Prayer to read “God, forever and ever” ignores the beauty of the English language itself, which clearly expresses the community of the Holy Father in His three divine personas: the Lord Himself, the Holy Son and the Spirit. Saying “One God” reminds the believer that God’s magnificence is embodied by three partners who are united in one form, the Trinity.

Latin and Italian have different linguistic ideations that do not always match English itself. No English speaker is actually going to conceive of the Lord Christ as “one God among others.” The statement “one God forever and ever” harkens back to Jewish tradition with the quotation of Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Jesus repeats this prayer in Mark 12:29.    

Christopher Mansour,

Barrie, Ont.

Second thought

Re: Bill C-7 and the Senate:

The justification given for legalizing the sale of  alcohol, gambling, drugs and now suicide is that it takes it away from the criminal element. Legalization and regulation were meant to prevent and guard against the harmful effect of these activities on society, to stop the criminal element from promoting and prospering by encouraging their use.

However, the government, once having had a taste of the huge profits to be made, is now promoting their use, not controlling it. Its justification is the money goes to support health and recreational projects etc. In its eyes, the end justifies the means. 

The question now is, what is to stop the government from using this same argument to justify promoting and encouraging the killing of the ill, the old and the infirm to ease the strain on our health system? Our traditional values and centuries of study have found suicide to be illegal and abhorrent both from a religious and humanitarian point of view, and calls for sober second thought to be given to Bill C-7.

Cy Abbass,

Thornhill, Ont.

One truth

Re: What is true in a “post-truth” world? (Feb. 14):

In the “post-truth” world many think truth is a matter of opinion. Catholics, however, have a duty to seek objective truth in all things, as St. Augustine says: “To rejoice in the truth is to rejoice in you, O God, who are the Truth.”

The vast information we are exposed to makes it difficult to ascertain the truth as we are prone to error and easily deceived. Indeed, the Gospel warns us to not to judge “according to appearances” but “according to what is right” (John 7:24). Guided by the light of faith we need to ask questions and wisely assess evidence so that we may rightly discern the truth. 

Claudio Ceolin,

Toronto

Action matters

A letter writer recently wrote that “Joe Biden is … an honest, God-fearing man.” While we cannot judge Mr. Biden’s conscience, we do have the right to call out someone’s words or actions in a spirit of Christian charity. Writing in First Things, Archbishop Charles Chaput, retired bishop of Philadelphia, stated: “By his actions during the course of his public life, Mr. Biden has demonstrated that he is not in full communion with the Catholic Church.”

Mr. Biden continues to pursue anti-life action and words. His agenda on abortion is totally incompatible with being “an honest, God-fearing man.”

Norman Lower,

Quebec City