OTTAWA – A proposed law by Quebec’s new government that would ban religious symbols is a clear violation of fundamental rights, said Montreal’s archbishop and Canada’s former Ambassador of Religious Freedom.

VATICAN  – Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia told members of the Synod of Bishops their task was to help young people understand Catholic teaching on sexuality and to avoid using terms like "LGBTQ" that make it seem as if the church categorizes people that way.

OTTAWA – Canada’s Catholic bishops’ have released a new document on sexual abuse that calls for accountability, transparency, prevention and healing as first steps to repair the considerable damage inflicted on the Church and society by decades of priestly abuse and coverups by bishops.

CORNWALL – Canada’s Catholic bishops aim to have palliative care resources available in every parish to help Catholics grapple with suffering and dying under a regime of legal euthanasia.

OTTAWA – Experts warned religious freedom is at risk in Canada as it is no longer seen as a fundamental right but something that can be trumped by vague “charter values” and partisan politics.

OTTAWA – New sexual abuse policies which Canada’s bishops have vowed to implement will focus on prevention, but will not include a mechanism to censure a bishop who commits or covers up an offence.

CORNWALL, Ont. – Western nations must support Syrian refugees in Lebanon who want to return home, Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï told Canada’s Catholic bishops.

CORNWALL, Ont. – Pope Francis is grateful for the support of Canada’s bishops during this time of difficulty in the Church, said the Vatican’s ambassador to Canada.