Doctors hold a favoured place in society because they are seen as models of compassion and integrity. They are admired as healers and moral leaders, virtuous people, widely respected. If you can’t trust your doctor, who can you trust? 

Providing care and showing compassion for society’s most vulnerable members is not an option. It’s an obligation. So says Pope Francis and the Federal Court of Canada.

Critics are dismissing Canada’s proposed new prostitution law claiming it inadequately protects prostitutes and will inevitably be challenged in the Supreme Court. Time will tell on that. But meantime the critics have ignored the clear and positive statement the new law makes about Canadian values. 

The outcry continues but the decision remains unchanged: the union that represents 45,000 Ontario Catholic teachers is determined to march June 29 in Toronto’s gay pride parade. As Cardinal Thomas Collins recently put it, “Really? What are you thinking?” 

Seldom does the House of Commons speak as one voice. So Parliament’s recent near-unanimous support of a motion to make palliative care a national priority was encouraging and welcomed. Yet the roar will quickly fade to a whisper without sincere government action to turn this rare cross-party unanimity into meaningful legislation. 

All too often nations fail to honour headline-grabbing promises trumpeted at the conclusion of international summits. Leaders move on to other issues and other crises and hope no one remembers pledges made in previous years. 

In the powerful image shown around the world, Pope Francis is standing at the imposing wall that partitions Bethlehem from the outside world. His right palm presses the concrete, his head is bowed in silent prayer. Graffiti above him proclaims, “Pope we need some1 to speak about justice.”

The archdiocese of Toronto’s $105 million fundraising drive is unprecedented in the Canadian Church. But the ambitious campaign is about much more than asking parishioners how much can they give. It’s asking them how much do they care.

TORONTO - Cardinal Thomas Collins has been receiving an unprecedented outpouring of support in the wake of his open letter that urged Liberal leader Justin Trudeau to reconsider an inflexible stand against pro-life supporters.

Just as elected officials are required to uphold the law they also have the right, and sometimes the duty, to advocate for reform. That doesn’t mean they’ll get their way — and most times they don’t — but in a free and democratic society it does mean they can follow their conscience, act on principle, voice reasonable opinions and, hopefully, not be judged for their beliefs, particularly those founded in faith.