The Roman Catholic archbishop of Montreal, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, has had his resignation from the Order of Canada officially approved. Turcotte objected to Dr. Henry Morgentaler receiving the Order last summer saying he was a questionable person who cheapened the order.
His resignation was published in the Canada Gazette on Sunday. It was accepted by Governor General Michelle Jean in December.
Douglas Todd has excellent coverage of the court casebetween schismatic Anglican congregations in British Columbia and The Anglican Church of Canada. This is a property issue, with an interesting Hindu twist.
In the end, Justice Kelleher is being asked to rule on a moral, religious and ecclesiastical dispute that has for several decades drawn much emotional energy from both conservative and liberal Anglicans.
When Kelleher makes his decision on the case in the next few months, the public will finally find out what a secular authority, not a religious one, believes is the most just way to resolve a nasty dispute between people who claim to belong to the same spiritual family.
While we try to cover religious right issues in Canada using Marci McDonald’s definitive 2006 article: Stephen Harper and the Theo-cons, there is a more generic article by Douglas Todd written in 2005 which has some interesting quotes from academics. U.S. Religious Right pushing into Canada. Given the economic turn down, a minority PC federal government, Bill C-38 being upheld etc., it would be interesting to see what these fellows who were quoted would have to say in 2009.
Scarborough-Guildwood MP John Makay(Liberal) has been tasked by the party leader to woo Canada’s religious groups. Sounds like that persecution motif the religious right in the US sings and Douglas Todd mentions in the 2005 article above has rooted itself a bit more than I would have blithely acknowledged. Does skepticism still play a healthy role?
Bill 44 passed 3rd and final reading in the Alberta legislature today. Parents have the right to be notified if sex, religion or sexual orientation is being discussed in their children’s classes so they can opt out and keep the kidlets home. Parents already had that option, and can now use human rights tribunals if their right is violated.
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