Deborah Gyapong, Canadian Catholic News
Deborah Waters Gyapong has been a journalist and novelist for more than 20 years. She has worked in print, radio and television, including 12 years as a producer for CBC TV's news and current affairs programming. She currently covers religion and politics primarily for Catholic and Evangelical newspapers.
Groups unite to stop Quebec's Bill 52
OTTAWA - Two prominent Quebec organizations hoping to block the province’s euthanasia Bill 52 submitted forceful briefs to the Health and Social Services committee seeking public input on the bill.
Pope offers lessons on qualities of those in ministry, nuncio tells bishops
SAINTE-ADELE, QUE. - In his final address to Canada’s Catholic bishops Sept. 23, the papal nuncio told the bishops Pope Francis was giving them “a powerful lesson on the qualities that should characterize the episcopal ministry.”
Copt leader updates bishops on Egyptian crisis
SAINTE-ADÈLE, QUE. - More than 350 Egyptian Christian churches, homes and business have been attacked and burned since the Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohamed Morsi was deposed in July, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Mina told Canada’s Catholic bishops.
COLF warns of pitfalls in New Age movement
OTTAWA - The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) has published a booklet warning that yoga, meditation, Reiki and other activities of the New Age movement are dangerous.
Cardinal Rodriguez urges pursuit of charity at local parish level
SAINTE-ADELE, Que. - Charity or caritas needs to begin face-to-face, at the local parish level, Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga told Canada’s bishops Sept. 24.
Canadian bishops focus on those on margins of society at plenary
SAINTE-ADÈLE, Que. - Canada’s Catholic bishops have responded to Pope Francis’ call to minister to those on the periphery of society while making efforts to ensure the Church herself is not marginalized, said the bishops' conference's outgoing president.
Lépine warns against enshrining Quebec values in charter
OTTAWA - Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine has warned against the Parti Quebecois’ plans to enshrine Quebec values in a charter.
Bishops’ plenary to examine charity at home and abroad
OTTAWA - Caritas, or charity, both at home and abroad, will be the theme of this year’s annual plenary of Canada’s Catholic bishops Sept. 23-27 in Sainte-Adele, Que., says Msgr. Patrick Powers.
Legal action threatened against Quebec charter
OTTAWA - The Jesuit Centre for Justice and Faith (Centre justice et foi) in Montreal stressed the importance of tolerant social climate to prevent a descent into xenophobia and demagogic excess as the Parti Quebecois government announced details of the proposed Charter of Quebec Values.
Quebec’s ‘unjust’ secularism imitates the French model
OTTAWA - The proposed Charter of Quebec Values imitates France’s “unjust” imposition of anti-religious secularism, says Canadian constitutional lawyer and religious freedom expert Iain Benson.