Saturday, August 28, 2010

Islam must speak against its radical factions - Well and good, but it is difficult for citizens or public leaders to do so when at any time the mob can accuse and execute them.

At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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Islam must speak against its radical factions 

THE OTTAWA CITIZEN AUGUST 28, 2010 

Catholicism relies upon the Vatican for guidance and control. The Church of England has the Archbishop of Canterbury. Judaism has a variety of organizations which are designed to instruct, teach and certify rabbis and cantors. There are, with a majority of religious groups, bodies in control. Failure of religious leaders to follow edicts have consequences including excommunication. 

What many are waiting for is a declaration from a governing body within Islam condemning the war upon the West. The nervous reaction that people have towards Muslims is because there has been no united condemnation of the radical factions. Because there has been no central outcry from within, the perception is the radicals are being supported by all. 

There is no formal school to teach imams, no central authority, no class of clergy within the religion. Anyone who is learned in the Koran and who demonstrates sufficient piety and scholarship can become an imam. Each imam is free to preach what he believes. If he has a background which is radical, his teachings will follow. 

What most people can't understand is when an imam spouts off that America is the devil and Jews and Christians are its spawn, how such individuals are allowed to continue preaching. There are no sanctions, punishments or consequences for making those remarks. That fosters the belief that everyone within the culture accepts and adopts those words. 

Islam must find a way to deal with its radicals internally. Without that it is impossible for outsiders to understand where the radicals stop and the secularists begin. The media paints everyone with the same brush. While that is unfair, there has been little condemnation from within so there is little opportunity to see the moderate side of a good people.

Russel Molot, Ottawa

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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COMMENT - I have known some Muslims who have emigrated from Muslim countries where Sharia is the law of the land. It happens in such countries that ordinary Muslims become quite bold to accuse others of blasphemy; whether it is true or not. One man was accused by a business competitor who didn't like him, all the more so because the man he hated was not Muslim but a Roman Catholic Christian. In such an environment, the accuser broadcasts his accusation loudly and the crowd joins in to support him. Some Muslims are intimidated into joining the gathering crowd lest they be accused of not being zealous enough for Islam. The Catholic business owner would have been killed, executed by the mob, if the authorities had not intervened. Once he came to trial the judge admitted to him he was obviously innocent, but if he were to be released he would surely be executed by the mob. The judge arranged for him to be released later at an unsuspected time and secretly at night with the support of some non-profit organizations which helped to spirit him away safely and out of the country along with his family; for they too would have been in danger for their lives. So, in such cultures where mob rule intimidates any who might be opposed or disagree; it is very difficult for anyone to come out to declare disapproval of the actions of violent extremists. Anyone - a citizen or public leader who speaks up or resists injustice takes not only their own life into their hands, but the lives of their family as well. G.S.

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At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

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Thursday, April 1, 2010

Betting on the Afterlife By Msgr. Fred Dolan, Opus Dei - April 1st, 2010

At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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Betting on the Afterlife

By Msgr. Fred Dolan, Opus Dei

My workouts at the gym are usually routine events, but that day a few years ago was much different. On one of the televisions above my treadmill, George Stroumboulopoulos was interviewing June Callwood, whose terminal cancer was bringing her time on earth to an end. “Dust to dust is the way it ought to be” June said shortly into the interview. 

“You’re about to enter that great stage in one’s life when you get to find out what’s next. Do you have an idea?” George asked.

“There’s nothing next,” June replied without hesitation, followed by a pensive “That’s all right.”

George was strikingly poignant as he continued to question his 82 year-old guest. “You don’t believe in God?” The response: “I believe in kindness”. 

Here was one of Canada’s leading interviewers questioning one of Canada’s foremost social activists, who was utterly convinced that life simply ends. Full stop. Nothing more. Absolutely nothing.

As I finished my workout, I couldn’t stop thinking about George’s seeming disappointment in his guest’s rejection of an afterlife. Even those who are “convinced” of their final end must have a bit of lingering doubt. I would go further: most of us would do anything to sneak a peak at the next destination. 

As Benedict XVI said in his best-selling book Jesus of Nazareth: “What preoccupies man is the hiddenness of the future that awaits him. Man wants to tear aside the curtain; he wants to know what is going to happen, so that he can avoid perdition and set out towards salvation.”

June Callwood’s adamancy contrasts radically with that of Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary, three people who were close to Jesus. A brokenhearted Martha said to Jesus: "If you had been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

That is the fundamental "Easter question" for Christians. Do they, or do they not believe in life after death? It either does or does not exist. Both positions ultimately require an act of faith; after all, in this life it is impossible to “break on through to the other side”, to use the memorable phrase of The Doors’ Jim Morrison. Life and death come down to weighing our two options and hedging our bets, since it just might be true that death is only the entry point to an unending existence in the afterlife. 

A friend, having heard I was writing on this topic, wrote to me: “I look forward to your piece on life after death. I'm not convinced but I am eager to be proven wrong. Nietzsche said life has meaning because we die. But when you see how breezily people throw their lives away, I'm not sure that is the case.”

It's easy to understand why some people equate death with “game over”. They never give a thought to the after-life because they are too busy in the present life, rushing around, chasing time, absorbed in everything they must finish before they die.

The German philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand observed: “Some people are so engrossed in their daily concerns that, though not leading an agreeable life at all, they simply find no time to stop and think. The complete enslavement of their attention to the practical task immediately ahead deprives them of any leisure for feeling their lack of peace. Like beasts of burden, they tread along their path in dull monotony, without ever becoming sufficiently awake to feel distressed by the meaninglessness of their lives.”

Then there is the fact that “eternal life” is tough to wrap our minds around. We can imagine an unlimited data plan for our cell phones, but not unlimited time for ourselves. Much less can we conceive of eternity as not a long time, but a time of pure timelessness.

Benedict XVI took a stab at this in his encyclical letter on hope. Here is his effort to describe heaven: “(It is) something more like the supreme moment of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality (...). It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time— the before and after —no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy.”

A big stumbling block is the need for faith. Someone could say “I don’t have faith, therefore I am convinced that with death comes the end.” Ironically, that attitude requires quite a leap of faith to conclude that humans are just flesh, bones and chemicals. How can chemicals produce such immaterial concepts as eternity and love? The thought that we are just a sack of chemicals is not especially appealing or even logical. Yet many accept that belief without blinking an eye.

A professor at a U.S. university took a poll before class one day. He asked his students what they thought they were: a composite of immortal soul and physical body or flesh, bones and chemicals. Only two out of the forty students opted for the body and soul composite but then one of the two got embarrassed and yanked his hand back down. Thirty-eight blithely chose flesh, bones and chemicals.

But chemicals can’t possibly explain our yearning for eternal life. The human psyche was wired at the factory for infinity. To paraphrase Augustine of Hippo: “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

A contemporary thinker, Peter Kreeft of Boston College, says: “The big, blazing, terrible truth about man is that he has a heaven-sized hole in his heart, and nothing else can heal it. We pass our lives trying to fill the Grand Canyon with marbles.”

So what if it turns out that death truly is just the beginning?  

Joseph Ratzinger spoke about the “moral exigency” that arises when we consider the account we will have to give to our creator. The thought of the afterlife confers to moral decision-making gravity and definiteness.  As a recently ordained priest back in the 1980s, I walked into a Cambridge Square printing shop one day. The manager looked up from her desk. She smiled when she noted my clerical garb, and said in a rich Southern accent: “I haven’t seen anyone dressed like that in a long time. When I was growing up, I used to see priests dressed like you and I would always say to myself, ‘Honey, you’d better clean up your act!’"

Christians, particularly, have a compelling reason to believe in eternal life. Not only did Jesus speak often about the life that awaits us in heaven, but he then rose from the dead and, during forty days, appeared to hundreds of people. A betting man would not want to ignore that clue.

Interview with Msgr. Dolan, Part I: What happens once a Conference Centre is established in a new geographic area? - January 14, 2019 by CRCC Newsletter


Greetings from the Vicar for Canada, Msgr. Frederick Dolan - Dear Friends, The Golden Anniversary of the presence of Opus Dei in Canada makes this month of June 2007 very special. 50 years, a moment to count our many blessings, to name them one by one

Video meditation by Msgr. Frederick Dolan, Vicar of Opus Dei in Canada - A meditation by Msgr. Frederick Dolan to help guide and anchor our thoughts and prayers, remind us of our core identity, and grow spiritually during the stressful and uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020.

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At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Is this Dutch politician correct in warning that the demands of Muslim immigrants are eroding Western democratic and social institutions?

At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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Geert Wilders is a Dutch Member of Parliament.

America as the last man standing

 http://copperraildepot.com/America-Last%20One%20Standing.htm

In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: "who lost Europe ?"

Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands , at the Four Seasons, New York , introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem .

Dear friends,

Thank you very much for inviting me.

I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.

First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe . Then, I will say a few things about Islam.. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem .

The Europe you know is changing.

You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.

All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe . These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe , street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.

There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe . With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.

Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam , Marseille and Malmo in Sweden . In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.

In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims.

Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear 'whore, whore'. Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin . The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.

In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system.. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels , because he was drinking during the Ramadan.

Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya , Israel . I could go on forever with stories like this.. Stories about Islamization.

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe . San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.

Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France ... One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks.. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have Muslim official state holidays.

The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey .

Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.

Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.

Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.

Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor.. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel . First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.

This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines , Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan , Lebanon , and Aceh in Indonesia . Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.

The war against Israel is not a war against Israel . It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel , Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.

Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel , they can get everything. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands , 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a danger greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome , Athens and Jerusalem .

Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe , American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe 's children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.

http://copperraildepot.com/America-Last%20One%20Standing.htm

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Dutch politician fights for free speech By DEROY MURDOCK 
 Scripps Howard News Service 
Posted Mar 1, 2009 

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POWERBASE - Public Interest Investigations - Geert Wilders 

https://powerbase.info/index.php/Geert_Wilders

Geert Wilders is a right wing Dutch politician. Although initially a member of the liberal VVD, he first came to prominence in 2002, following his appointment as foreign affairs spokesman, in which role he established a reputation as a critic of radical Islam. His hardline views, particularly his opposition to Turkish accession to the EU, led to his departure from the VVD in 2004, to set up his own political group.

Shortly afterwards, the murder of Theo Van Gogh boosted support for Wilders' message, which would come to include calls for a ban on the Koran, and an end to non-Western immigration. In 2006, his Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV) won 9 seats in the Dutch parliament. Elections in 2010 saw a dramatic increase in support that won 24 seats in the 150-seat second chamber in The Hague.[1]

In 2008, Wilders released Fitna, an anti-Islam film which mixed footage of terrorist attacks with readings from the Koran. He subsequently spoke at screenings of the film organised by neoconservative and right-wing groups in the US, Israel and a number of European countries. On 11 September 2010 Wilders was a keynote speaker at a rally against the so-called Ground Zero Mosque in New York[2] organised by anti-Islam blogger Pamela Geller, who introduced him as her 'hero'. [3]

For complete article go to: https://powerbase.info/index.php/Geert_Wilders

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BROOKINGS REPORT “The biggest problem in the Netherlands”: Understanding the Party for Freedom’s politicization of IslamKoen Damhuis - Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Koen Damhuis - Assistant Professor - Utrecht University

Editor's Note: 

This working paper is part of a multi-year Brookings project—"The One Percent Problem: Muslims in the West and the Rise of the New Populists." Other papers in the series are available here.


When Geert Wilders, founder and front man of the Party for Freedom (PVV), explained his “Plan for the Netherlands” in the build-up to the Dutch general election of 2017, he declared that “the biggest problem in this country is Islamization.” This process, Wilders claimed, constitutes an “existential threat” to “our identity, our freedom. Who we are. Everything.”[1] For close observers of Dutch politics, similar statements, made by the leader of the then third-largest party of the country (second-largest after the elections), were stale—over the preceding decade they had grown accustomed to Wilders’ Islam-alarmist messages. His claims may sound rather radical, however, to foreign ears. After all, most of Wilders’ political friends in European Parliament do not denounce Islam as directly or explicitly;[2] nor is the issue as salient for them as it is for PVV leader. Besides, didn’t Wilders come from and operate in the Netherlands, a country that has long been prided for its cultural openness and religious tolerance?

This paper aims to contribute toward a better understanding of the ways in which immigration in general, and Islam in particular, are politicized in the Netherlands—a history in which Wilders plays a key role, though he is not the only protagonist. I will do so by focusing, first, on the societal background against which these issues surfaced on the political agenda during the past decades. I will then analyze how the issues of immigration and Islam are depicted by Wilders’ PVV and how these representations evolved over time. The final section will situate this politicization in the contemporary Dutch political landscape and discuss its societal implications.

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At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

What are we to make of “Conversations with God”? - Anyone declaring things that contradict of deny Jesus Christ the Son of God and his Gospel is against Him

At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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What are we to make of “Conversations with God”?

There are many cautions in the New Testament regarding "new teachings" that only serve to distract us from the truth of the Good News proclaimed by Jesus Christ.

"6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!" Gal 1:6-9  

"12 And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. 13 For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds." 2 Cor 11:12-15

"3 I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, 4 and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. 5 But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. 6 Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions." 1 Tim 1:3-7 

"6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains."         "17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life." 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-18

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What follows is not an attempt to critique the book series exhaustively, point by point, nor even in terms of its conclusions. One would have to be ready to invest as much time as the author to enter into a serious dialogue with someone who isn’t really finished making pronouncements.

Someone passed on to me the movie version of “Conversations with God” and I found the story quite touching for many reasons. First, I believe that God has, undoubtedly does, and will again speak to or inspire people. Our Roman Catholic family is a Christian tradition with a rich history of saints – female and male of all ages – who have had remarkable experiences of God that changed their lives and in turn impacted deeply on the lives of many others.

Second, the story the movie tells is very touching. A man has a serious accident and his life falls apart. He ends up on the street trying to survive and makes a few friends among others on the street. In time, in exasperation, he flings angry questions about life at God and has the impression God is answering him. Believable and inspiring story but it denies divinely revealed truth. So, I next went to Wikipedia. Here is what I found. First, though, I suggest you check it out yourself at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversations_with_God

From Wikipedia:     “Conversations with God (CwG) is a sequence of books written by Neale Donald Walsch. It was written as a dialogue in which Walsch asks questions and God answers.[1] The first book of the Conversations with God series, Conversations with God, Book 1: An Uncommon Dialogue, was published in 1995 and became a publishing phenomenon, staying on The New York Times Best Sellers List for 137 weeks. The succeeding volumes in the ten book series also appeared prominently on the List.

In an interview with Larry King, Walsch described the inception of the books as follows: at a low period in his life, Walsch wrote an angry letter to God asking questions about why his life wasn't working. After writing down all of his questions, he heard a voice over his right shoulder say: "Do you really want an answer to all these questions or are you just venting?"[2] Though when he turned around he saw no one there, Walsch felt answers to his questions filling his mind and decided to write them down. The ensuing dialogue became the Conversations with God books. When asked in a recent interview how does he ‘open up’ to God these days, Neale stated “I am reaching out to touch others with this information. When I reach out and touch others with this information I reconnect immediately with the divine presence.”[3]

 “God's motive for creation (The following is a quote also taken from Wikipedia.)

“In Walsch's first dialogue, God notes that "knowing" and "experiencing" oneself are different things. Before creation there was only That-Which-Is, which cannot know or experience itself fully, without something it is not. It cannot know itself as love, since nothing exists but love. It cannot know itself as giving since nothing else exists to give to. It cannot experience itself in myriad ways because everything is one. This present creation then, in Walsch's viewpoint, is established by and within God, so that sentience can exist which does not directly remember its true nature as God.

Split into infinite forms, all life can live, experience, and recreate its nature as God, rather than just "know" itself as the creator in theory. It is essentially a game, entered into by agreement, to remember who and what we are and enjoy and create, knowing that ultimately there is no finish line that some will not reach, no understanding that is not without value, no act that does not add meaning to the future or for others. In Walsch's view we have a common interest in keeping the game going, for there is nothing else to do except to experience our existence and then experience more of it, to uncover deeper layers of truth and understanding. There are no external rules, because all experience is subjective, and is chosen. But within this, there are ways that (it is stated and implied) people will gradually come to see their thoughts, words, actions are either working or they are not working. A thing is either functional or dysfunctional. These remembering’s take place over "time" and can take hundreds and thousands of lifetimes.”

My impression about the content of these books is that the author posits god as all the impersonal stuff of the universe. They call that pantheism, the belief that god is everything, including us. This is as far in the opposite direction as can be from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of Moses and Joshua, of King David and the Psalmists, of Tobit, Tobias, and Sara, of the Maccabees, and the God of Joachim and Anne, of Elizabeth and Zechariah, of John the Baptist and finally, of Jesus, who called God “Abba!” that is, “Papa!”.

For this reason alone, I would caution anyone feeling carried away by the eloquence of this author and the seductive quality of his words – often accompanied by mood music on the internet – and remind you that our own feelings and thoughts are actually not our best guide after Adam and Eve. The whole point of the Jewish Scriptures and for the coming of the Son of God into the world is that humanity got lost, could not find or save itself, needed and still needs a Saviour.

In the following short video we can see and hear Neale as a motivational speaker and life coach set the context in the personal realm of “making a life rather than making a living”. These are seductive words because they claim to address the existential anxiety which confronts every human being.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x49ydc_neale-donald-walsch-3-abundance-con_politics

My chief concern about this author and with the geometric multiplication of personal life coaches and gurus is that people are spontaneously inclined to believe them for a few significant reasons.

1.     They may surprise us by declaring the obvious which so many people no longer notice.

2.     They confirm our own judgements about ourselves that we could do better and feel better.

3.     They focus on personal goals, ignoring anything and anyone that stands in the way.

4.     They do not include any moral frame of reference aside from achieving one’s goals.

5.     They sound like what Jesus would have become had he succumbed to the devil’s three temptations in the desert: to become powerful, influential, and godless or in God’s place.

Read the Wikipedia piece yourself and see how these relatively impartial anonymous authors and contributors have gleaned from the books that the author has no trouble accommodating all kinds of contradictory ideas and beliefs. The operating principle seems to be that if it feels right and good for you, then go with it. There is no absolute truth, there are no consequences, and you have an unlimited number of lifetimes to get it right. Again, that is not at all who God is as the follower of Jesus comes to know Him and to believe in Him and follow Him. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” No one has life unless they come to Him. We have only one life here and in eternity.

That means that anyone else coming along proposing another truth is a liar and a thief, either the father of lies himself or someone being “inspired” and deceived by him. You, dear Reader, are on your own with your own mind, heart, and conscience, and the choice you have is between what “spirit” or “voice” you will decide to trust with your life and follow. St. Ignatius of Loyola in his “Rules for the Discernment of Spirits” taught like St. Paul to “test everything” and like St. John to “test the spirits”. Like them, I’m for Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord of Creation, the Risen King, the Victor over death and the “father of lies and prince of this world, prince of darkness.”

All glory be to God our Creator, in Jesus his only begotten Son, in the power of their love called the Holy Spirit. Amen! 

Originally composed August 18th, 2009

March 8th, 2021 

Gilles A. Surprenant, priest of Montreal, Associate of Madonna House Apostolate, & poustinik

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At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007

ESCC - English Speaking Catholic Council - Ethical Guidelines Handbook for the Catholic Laity in Apostolic Service - Montreal QC CANADA

At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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ESCC

English Speaking Catholic Council

Québec, Canada

Ethical Guidelines Handbook for the Catholic Laity in Apostolic Service 

Introduction:

What is the Ethical Guidelines Handbook?

The Ethical Guidelines Handbook (EGH) offers a concise overview of the basic ethical standards that may be relevant to lay Catholic associations and individuals (salaried and volunteer) involved in various forms of apostolic service. The handbook is not a formal code of conduct. The goal of this document is to highlight ethical norms relevant to various forms of apostolic service in the community. It also attempts to provide a useful ethical toolbox or checklist for lay Catholic associations interested in establishing ethical codes.

The Local Context for the EGH Initiative

The EGH is the initiative of the English Speaking Catholic Council of Montreal (ESCC). It was developed through a consultative process that involved both lay and clerical input. It also drew upon a broad range of religious, legal, scholarly, and professional resources. This initiative should not be perceived as an attempt to address specific ethical problems in our local associations. The English Catholic community of Montreal is noteworthy for its wealth of diverse lay Catholic associations serving an ethnically and linguistically diverse population. These associations have a distinguished tradition of apostolic service that has been remarkably free from forms of misconduct or neglect that can pose risks to clients. This initiative is an attempt to draw on the rich body of common wisdom, moral leadership and dedication that have been notable features of this grass-roots tradition of lay Catholic service.

Audience for the EGH

These guidelines were principally designed by lay Catholics for lay Catholic associations and individuals. However, we recognize that these norms are not exclusively “lay” Catholic concerns. Many, if not most, of the guidelines would be relevant to clergy and religious, as well diocesan, parochial, and religious associations. Furthermore, most of the guidelines also would be relevant to individual lay Catholics serving within secular or non-Catholic organizations. Finally, the guidelines are relevant to volunteers as well as employees. The courts consider volunteers to be equivalent to employees for the purposes of legal, as well as ethical, risk and liability.

The Rationale for the EGH

The concern for articulating clear ethical standards has been an important, perhaps universal, feature of the Catholic tradition going back to its earliest origins. It has biblical roots in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Ten Commandments and various legal and wisdom literature of the Old Testament). It is also a prominent feature of the New Testament. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount establishes a higher moral benchmark than the Mosaic Law. The gospels and letters of the New Testament offer a significant body of moral instruction for the first Christian communities. Many religious orders have long-standing traditions of ethical codes that go back to their founding constitutions.

In recent years, there has been a growing consensus about the need for clearer ethical guidelines in Catholic institutions. There are a variety of explanations for this development. Some argue that there is a need to articulate clearer public standards due to the ongoing erosion of the unwritten moral traditions that once sustained our communities. Others argue that this need arises from the growing revelation of various patterns of ethical misconduct that were not adequately addressed and responded to by our traditional moral cultures. Furthermore, recent history has shown that violations of basic ethical standards can cause very serious personal, moral and institutional harm. Finally, ethical misconduct or negligence often can carry very serious legal consequences in terms of criminal or tort law (direct or vicarious liability). For a variety of reasons, numerous Catholic associations have been coming to the conclusion that there is a need to provide clearer ethical guidelines for their members.

Are Codes Effective?

There are some legal scholars and ethicists who raise thoughtful concerns about the limits and effectiveness of codes of conduct. We recognize that codes of conduct are not magic bullets. Nor can they adequately address core dimensions of our faith. However, ethical codes or community moral standards have been longstanding features of the Catholic tradition. Codes can be a significant part of a more broad-based approach to the moral and spiritual formation of Catholic individuals and communities. According to Deborah Pope-Lance, an expert on conduct issues in religious institutions, the absence of clear public standards or codes of conduct is an important factor predicting the likelihood of misconduct in various areas of service. David Blaikie and Diana Ginn, two recognized legal experts on religious organizations and the law, contend that the establishment of sound codes and policies is “an essential aspect” of prudent leadership that strives “to eliminate or reduce risks that cause harm.” (The Legal Guide for Canadian Churches, Novalis 2006)

Goals of the Ethical Guidelines Handbook

The EGH attempts to meet a number of basic goals: 

        • To highlight basic ethical guidelines relevant to various Catholic lay associations, works and                        services. 
        • To contribute to the continuing education and formation of lay leaders and workers. 
        • To provide a useful ethical toolbox and checklist for lay Catholic leaders and workers. 
        • To identify significant areas of ethical and legal risk. 
        • To provide clearer community standards to guide and protect those who do attempt to raise issues                 of ethical concern. According to one expert, the majority of “whistleblowers” do experience                    some form of negative reaction, marginalization and victimization. 
        • To promote healthy community standards for the protection of those who are served, as well as                    those who serve, in the diverse forms of Catholic apostolic work.

Limitations of the Ethics Guidelines Handbook:

It is also important to be clear about the important limitations of the EGH document: 

        • The guidelines listed below are not intended to be a formal or comprehensive code of conduct.                 However, Catholic associations could, if they see fit, adopt these guidelines, or variations of                 them, as their code of conduct. 
        • This document should not be used as a measure or benchmark for determining the “Catholicity”              of particular associations. 
        • Various guidelines listed below might be less relevant, or irrelevant, to the mission and                             circumstances of specific forms of apostolic work or service. For example, the section on                         relationships with minors would be largely irrelevant to apostolic forms of service that involve              no outreach to minors. 
        • The specific norms listed in this handbook often require an interpretation and an application that              is sensitive to the particular context of service. 
        • These guidelines do not include ethical guidelines that relate specifically to the unique missions                 of various forms of Catholic apostolic association, work or service. For example, a Catholic                 newspaper would need to address diverse issues of media or journalism ethics that are not                     addressed in this document. 
        • These guidelines tend to focus on very basic areas of ethical conduct. They focus on the “don’ts”              rather than the “do’s.” They do not attempt to address the loftier ethical or religious aspirations              of Catholic teaching. 
        • These guidelines do not address the mission goals of various forms of Catholic lay apostolate. 
        • Ethical guidelines must be disseminated, discussed and reviewed on a regular basis if they are to              be effective instruments in educating for healthy community standards.

Definition of Terms:

        • This guideline defines Catholic “lay worker” to be any Catholic lay volunteer or employee                         involved in a Catholic association, apostolic work or service. 
        • When the word “client” is used in this document, the term primarily refers to any individuals or                 their family members, for whom Catholic lay volunteers or staff provide forms of service, care              or counsel that involve relationships of trust or confidentiality. 
        • In accordance with Catholic teaching, this guideline defines “minor” to be anyone under the age              of 18. 

Ethical Guidelines for the Catholic Lay Apostolate

Preamble: The Vocation of the Lay Faithful

Ethical guidelines for lay Catholics must be situated within the context of an appreciation of the laity’s crucial role in the common mission of the Church. 

The lay vocation is the “front line” of Church life. Church teaching recognizes that “lay believers are in the front line of Church life; for them the Church is the animating principle of human society. Therefore, they in particular ought to have an ever-clearer consciousness not only of belonging to the Church, but of being the Church, that is to say, the community of the faithful on earth under the leadership of the Pope, the common Head, and of the bishops in communion with him. They are the Church.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 899) 

The lay faithful are the Church in the world. The laity are called “to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God’s will.” (898) “The initiative of lay Christians,” the Catechism insists, “is necessary especially when the matter involves discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life.” (899) 

The right and duty of the laity to work and exercise leadership in their various apostolates. The laity are entrusted with both “the right and duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all… throughout the earth.” Their activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of the pastors cannot be fully effective without it.” (900)

1.0 General Norms

Catholic moral and social teachings are founded on belief in God and the affirmation of the sacred dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God. (Gen 1:27) Catholic teaching also affirms a preferential option for the poor.

Audience and Context: The following norms are applicable to all areas of service:

1.1 Speak and act in ways consistent with our vocation to know, love and serve God. 

1.2 Speak and act in ways that respect the equal dignity and worth of every individual. 
1.3 Speak and act in ways that reach out to those who are suffering, weak or vulnerable.

2.0 Relationships with the Faith Community

Baptism in the life and mission of Jesus Christ involves ongoing faithfulness to the life and mission of his Church. The diverse missions of the numerous Catholic apostolic associations and services flow from, and should always correlate with, the “common mission” of the Church to bring, through words and/or deeds, the good news of God’s love and salvation to the world. 

Audience and Context: For individual lay Catholics striving to be faithful to their vocation the 
following norms are applicable to all areas of service. The common mission of the Church gives life and meaning to the diverse apostolic services within the Catholic community. However, it is important to point out that Catholic organizations normally do not define their own particular missions in a way that highlights all, or even most, of the diverse elements of Catholic identity in their specific area of apostolic work. For example, some organizations might focus on one concrete mission of social justice, such as care of the elderly. It would be inappropriate and impractical to expect specific Catholic organizations to respond to and promote all aspects of Catholic mission.

2.1 Speak and act in a manner that is consistent with the common mission of the Church. 
2.2 Speak and act in ways that respect the diverse conditions, vocations, and offices of members of the         Body of Christ. 
2.3 No one should be forced to act in a manner contrary to one’s informed conscience, nor be restrained         from acting in accordance with one’s conscience, especially in matters moral or religious. Respect         for conscience is not absolute. The obvious exception is when conscientious behaviour causes, or            threatens, harm to others. 
2.4 With due respect for freedom of conscience, strive to be faithful to the Catholic faith, beliefs and            practices in particular contexts of service. 
2.5 Respecting due process, prudence, and the correct avenues for change (personal example and/or                appropriate types of collective action), work to reform practices and policies that clearly contradict         or violate the common mission of the Church. 
2.6 Maintain an active relationship and good standing with the Catholic Church. 
2.7 Seek ongoing faith and spiritual formation. 
2.8 In accordance with one’s areas of knowledge and competence, affirm and exercise the right and                duty of the laity to express opinions on matters pertaining to the good of the church with due                regard for the integrity of faith and morals, the common good, and the dignity of persons. 
2.9 If for any reason the lay faithful are not free to appropriately exercise or express their Catholic faith,         they should notify the proper religious and/or civil authorities. 

3.0 Basic Respect and Care

Disciples of Jesus are called to love one another as he has loved us (John 15:12), to seek to do good for others, and to avoid evil.

Audience and Context: The following norms are applicable to all areas of service.

3.1 Avoid any unjust discrimination “based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age             or mental or physical disability.” (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms). 
3.2 Demonstrate respect for diverse cultures. 
3.3 Speak and act in ways that foster respect and care for the environment. 
3.4 Take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely             to cause harm to others. 
3.5 Report to those responsible anything related to the apostolic service or work that may pose risks to             human health and safety. 
3.6 Report to those responsible any activity or threat that poses serious harm to oneself or another,                 especially if the endangered person is a minor. 
3.7 Disclose to those responsible any criminal charge or conviction that has not been pardoned and that           may be directly or indirectly relevant to the apostolic service engaged in. 
3.8 Refrain from and protect others from any form of coercion, intimidation or otherwise abusive words or actions. Abuse encompasses a range of activities including, but not limited to: 
                - physical, verbal, written, or psychological abuse 
                - bullying 
                - harassment 
                - racial, ethnic and religious insults.

4.0 Confidentiality and Trust in Relationships

Christian leaders are called to be “good shepherds” who care about those whom they serve and who refrain from exploiting their position for their own personal interests. (Jn 10, 1 Pet 5)

Audience and Context: The following norms apply with more force to areas of service that involve the exercise of pastoral authority and professional expertise such as counselling and spiritual direction. Types of apostolic service that involve confidential communication, counselling and trust between the lay servant and his/her client(s) require special attention to ethical boundaries and appropriate conduct.

4.1 Refrain from exploiting relationships of trust and authority to pursue personal interests and desires;         always work to promote the interests and wellbeing of those being served. 
4.2 Be mindful of the imbalance of power in the professional/client relationships and refrain from any             exploitation of that imbalance. 
4.3 Avoid dual relationships with clients (such as business or close intimate relationships) that could             impair judgment and integrity. 
4.4 Avoid fostering unhealthy or harmful forms of psychological or social dependency that do not                 contribute to the development of those being served. 
4.5 Do not initiate, promote, or agree to, any form of sexual behaviour within the client relationship. 
4.6 Provide clients with clear and realistic expectations regarding responsibilities and services. 
4.7 Understand the limits of individual competence and make referrals to other professionals when                 appropriate. 
4.8 Recognize the integrated nature of Christian service and avoid recommending prayer or other forms          of spiritual activity as substitutes for professional attention and care. 
4.9 Refrain from using psychological tools or tests unless the person administering them is accredited in          their use. 
4.10 Recommend referral to a qualified health professional if a client exhibits psychosis, delusional                 thinking, bizarre behaviour, suicidal thoughts, drug or alcohol abuse, or symptoms of severe                 depression. 
4.11 Treat all communications from clients with confidentiality except when disclosure is required for             necessary treatment, when granted by client permission, when required for the safety of any                 person, or when required by law. 
4.12 Ensure that the identities of clients are thoroughly disguised if pastoral experiences are referred to           in teaching, public talks, or publications.

5.0 Sexual Responsibility

Scripture affirms the unitive and procreative meaning of human sexuality and the sacramentality of the marital union (1 Cor.6-7; Eph 5) Catholic associations should foster a healthy and responsible sexual ethos. Youth groups and young adult associations are important settings for an education in interpersonal relationships and the development of intimate relationships that may eventually lead to marriage. 

Audience and Context: The following norms aim at prohibiting forms of seduction, sexual harassment or abuse between lay workers and the adults or minors whom they serve, as well as their fellow colleagues in apostolic service. These norms are not meant to suppress the expression of healthy and appropriate courtship relationships within areas of Christian service and activity. However certain forms of behaviour undermine and damage a healthy culture of courtship and marriage. 

5.1 Foster a healthy responsible sexual ethic consistent with the Catholic vision of human sexuality. 
5.2 Refrain from any form of sexual harassment. Harassment encompasses a range of activities                     including, but not limited to: 
                - inappropriate and/or unwelcome touching 
                - inappropriate sexual comments, innuendos or invitations 
                - inappropriate sexual displays of one’s body 
                - displays of offensive pictures, cartoons, or pornographic materials. 
5.3 Refrain from any forms of behaviour aimed at sexual seduction or soliciting sexual favours 
5.4 Refrain from courtship behaviour aimed at inappropriate individuals, such as those who are married,          religious, or clergy.

6.0 Relationships with Minors

Jesus encouraged his disciples to welcome and reach out to children (Mk 10). Catholic apostolic work has an outstanding tradition of outreach to the young through its schools, educational programs, diocesan youth organizations, parish youth ministries, and many other forms of youth apostolate. Jesus also solemnly warned against any abuse of children (Matt. 18). Jesus’ warnings underline the need to develop a moral environment that protects the wellbeing of young people.

Audience and Context: All ministries that have an outreach to minors should exercise ethical vigilance. Some concrete guidelines include: 

6.1 Programs or services for children and adolescents should aim for a healthy integrated development         of the young person’s faith, values, personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities. 
6.2 In all forms of service, the rights and dignity of young people, parental rights and obligations, and             as well as the young person’s cultural background and identity, should be respected. 
6.3 Foster a culture that promotes balanced and reasonable goals for young people and avoids imposing         onerous expectations or undue burdens on adolescents or children. 
6.4 Encourage young people to seek appropriate parental and professional help and support for any                 physical, psychological or social difficulties that they might be struggling with. 
6.5 In the case of serious problems that expose minors to grave risk such as physical injury, illness,                 serious psychological disorders, substance abuse, physical or sexual harassment, there should be a          common understanding between clients and lay apostolic workers that workers have a                             responsibility to alert the parents and/or appropriate custodians to the problem. 
6.6 Do not supply or serve alcohol or any controlled substance to a minor. 
6.7 Avoid any form of behaviour towards minors that could be construed as grooming, seductive or                 courting. 
6.8 Avoid forming “special” or exclusive relationships with minors. 
6.9 Ensure whenever reasonably possible that another adult is present or close by when providing                 pastoral services to minors. 
6.10 Avoid, whenever reasonably possible, being alone with a minor or group of minors in sleeping,             dressing or bathing areas, or when transporting a minor, making sure to exercise prudent judgment          and behaviour when another adult cannot be present. 
6.11 Report concerns about inappropriate adult behaviour or relationships with minors to those who                 have responsibility for the individual(s) concerned. 
6.12 Immediately report any evidence of physical or sexual abuse of minors to the appropriate civil                 authorities. 

7.0 Stewardship and Collegiality

Jesus called his disciples to a new type of servant leadership that embraces authority as a form of dedicated service rather than an entitlement or privilege (Mk 10).

Audience and Context: These counsels are more relevant to those who have leadership or decision-making responsibilities in organizations, committees, or serve on boards of directors.

7.1 Avoid treating leadership responsibilities as a form of entitlement or privilege rather than a work of             dedicated service. 
7.2 Foster practices of transparency and accountability to fellow workers and stakeholders, as well as                 those who are served. Transparency refers to the responsibility to adequately inform co-workers              and stake-holders in the association of rules, procedures, decisions and policies related to the                 area of apostolic service, as well as any changes to the above. These communications do not                 include matters deemed confidential. 
7.3 Attend to and solicit feedback from colleagues and those who are served. 
7.4 Represent accurately any professional qualifications and affiliations. 
7.5 Do not malign other colleagues, clergy or other professionals. 
7.6 Exercise good stewardship and accountability in the use of money and other resources entrusted to                 one’s care. 
7.7 Do not engage in activities that might constitute a “nuisance” (loud sound, smoke, pollution) for                 others. 
7.8 Prudently use contributed funds for the purposes stated in soliciting them. 
7.9 Foster collegial relationships recognizing that good judgment is achieved through consultative                     interaction rather than through isolated decision-making. 
7.10 Follow established rules of fair procedure in committee or board decision-making. 
7.11 Seek advice and counsel of clergy, colleagues or other professionals whenever it is in the best                     interest of those being served and make referrals when appropriate. 
7.12 Constructively collaborate for changes in institutional practices that will promote greater                             solidarity, justice and service. 
7.13 Resolve disputes through dialogue, reconciliation, negotiation and/or professional mediation. 
7.14 Take collegial and responsible action when concerns about or direct knowledge of misconduct                     occur.

8.0 Public Communication

The gospel proclaims that the truth shall set us free (Jn 8: 32). Transparency and truthfulness are ethical requirements for lay Catholic organizations and associations, as well as for individuals representing these institutions.

Audience and Context: These counsels would be applicable to those who are responsible for the dissemination of information for lay Catholic associations or various forms of lay apostolic service.

8.1 Foster a culture of honesty, openness and disclosure, rather than secrecy and concealment,                             concerning institutional policies, decisions, practices, and procedures. 
8.2 With due respect for matters involving valid confidentiality concerns, respond to requests for                         information promptly and accurately. 
8.3 Avoid disseminating information or advertising which contains any of the following: 
                • Fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading claims 
                • Deceptive or misleading misrepresentations of qualifications, titles or expertise. 
                • Statements likely to create unjustified expectations of favourable outcomes. 
                • Sensationalism or exaggeration 
                • Defamatory statements that harm, injure or adversely affect someone’s reputation 
                • Exploitation of fears, anxieties or emotions. 
                • Misrepresentation or denigration of other faith traditions

9.0 Personal commitments and responsibilities

The lay faithful are called to live with integrity and to “be strong in their inner selves” (Eph 3:16). In order to truly love their neighbour as themselves, they also must care for their own spiritual, physical, and psychological needs.

Audience and Context: The following norms are applicable to all areas of service.

9.1 Manage commitments and personal lives in a healthy fashion and seek appropriate assistance for                 personal problems or conflicts. 
9.2 Ensure that private conduct does not impair the ability to fulfil one’s responsibilities or bring                         dishonour to your apostolic service. 
9.3 Pursue ongoing personal spiritual growth, development, and formation. 
9.4 Avoid taking on commitments that may undermine the ability to fulfil one’s responsibilities to                     family, spouse, or children. 
9.5 Avoid taking on onerous commitments in apostolic service that may undermine the ability to                         perform properly one’s job responsibilities in the workplace.

10.0 Civic Duties

Catholic lay associations, services and activities are important elements of the dynamic civil society life vital to free democracies. Lay Catholics should strive to be engaged citizens as well as faithful members of their Church.

Audience and Context: The following norms are applicable to all areas of service.

10.1 Speak and act in a manner that is consistent with the “supremacy of God and the rule of law”                     (Canadian Charter), the provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the                 United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms. 
10.2 Speak and act in ways that promote a “culture of life” and respect the inviolable right to life of all                 human beings from conception to natural death. 
10.3 Speak and act in ways that respect and promote the Catholic vision of marriage and family life. 
10.4 Promote justice in relationships with others, especially on behalf of persons in need. 
10.5 Encourage informed public debate on issues of social and moral concern. 
10.6 Foster responsible and active citizenship in a pluralistic democratic state


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At this website by various means we seek to defend life, to encourage Christian faith, to promote Catholic tradition, to edify Marriage in its link to the Creator, to encourage families and individuals, and to support missionary disciples of Jesus.  G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

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