Canada appears to be busting out with “special rapporteurs” this week, although one remains unnamed and the other remains unreachable at least to representatives of the Canadian Catholic Church.

An outwardly immovable obstacle to assessing Pope Francis’ papacy at 10 years is the indisputable and unalterable fact that he is the Pope.

As he steps into retirement at 76 with the Toronto archdiocese and, indeed, Catholics across Canada recognizing his remarkable leadership, Cardinal Thomas Collins leaves in the air a question at once riveting, chilling and Lenten.

The recent swarm of public stranger assaults or killings in Toronto and other Canadian cities is distressing enough. Arising from it, though, is a reaction from the intelligentsia that portends, unless persuasively curbed, an even more ominous civic outcome.

We need only look at the Gospels to see how doubt and even denial camouflage critique. 

Catholics appeared to reinforce our counter-cultural status by marking Epiphany with the Gospel reading of the Wedding Feast at Cana only to be told days later no safe level exists for consuming wine and other alcohol.

We can file the latest revelation about political assaults on the Catholic chaplaincy of the Canadian Armed Forces under the heading: “Another one blights the trust.”

Our paramount hope and prayer for 2023 is that the federal government’s pause in its rush to push medically assisted homicide brings sincere recognition of its folly on life issues generally.

Among the resonances that will expand across time from Benedict XVI’s intellect, character, holiness and humanity is the harmonious clarity he sustained between certainty and charity.

At this liturgical moment when Catholic eyes, hearts and minds focus on Mary as the mother who delivered our Lord and Saviour into the world, it’s fitting to also direct attention to the Canadian women behind Momentum.