Readers Speak Out: September 25, 2022

Distinctly Indigenous

Beyond apologies and reparations, the Canadian Catholic Church needs to make fundamental changes to its relations with Indigenous peoples. After almost 400 years, the Church has produced only a tiny number of Indigenous clergy. The main reason is the requirement of clerical celibacy that goes against the fundamental Indigenous values of family and kin relationships.

The Canadian Church should establish an Indigenous branch along the lines of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches or the “personal ordinariate” for ex-Anglican married priest converts, all of which have married priests and their own bishops. These structures would permit greater integration of traditional Indigenous ceremonies in liturgical celebrations. A further step would be to open the priesthood to Indigenous women.

Canadian Catholics can profit from the experience of the Anglican Church of Canada, which has an Indigenous diocese and archbishop.

John Williams

Ottawa

Tread lightly

Regarding  “Sr. Burns rubber in her highway traffic act,” the Commandment (commandment, not suggestion or guideline) “Honour thy Father and Mother” has been further defined as “obey the laws and respect the public’s officers.” Disrespecting this definition disrespects, to a small extent of course, the Commandment itself. Shouldn’t religious give the best example possible by keeping all, and all of, the Commandments? Small things lead to bigger.

Pat Hunt

Ottawa, Ont.

Social summary

Cecil Chabot in his Sept. 18 column, “Turning social doctrine into society transformed,” laments the inadequate knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching.

Based on the New Testament, this teaching has been developed in papal encyclicals from the time of Leo XIII to promote justice in economics, government, politics, workplace and family.

Such saints as Peter Claver, Damien of Molokai and Mother Teresa demonstrate the beauty of the teaching in action.

Lise Anglin

Toronto

Register a threat

The greatest threat to mankind in 2022 is the globalist World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset.” The greatest obstacle to the Great Reset is the Catholic Church.

The Sept. 4 Catholic Register editorial, “Liturgies of Reconciliation,” confirms the presence of globalist elements on the editorial team of The Catholic Register. Perhaps this is related to federal government support The Register receives. Readers should be aware of this disturbing presence.

John Killackey

Mississauga Ont.

Right error

My anecdotal observation is that “conservative” Catholics, such as the Latin Mass nurse featured in a recent Register article, are disproportionate within the “congregation” of those who refuse COVID vaccines. It is this cohort, vehemently promoting ultramontane ecclesiology with emphasis on Petrine and Apostolic authority, who so precipitously dismiss the informed directives of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Canadian hierarchy and Pope Francis regarding the morality and pastoral advisability of COVID vaccines.

The woke mantra “my body — my choice” has been baptized by conservatives. Perhaps we misguided liberals should revive the slogan “error has no rights.”

Michael Chard

Toronto