From the (Canadian) Catholic Register:
OTTAWA - The Canadian government should urge Israel to stop
construction of a section of its security wall that threatens the livelihood of
58 Christian families and a Catholic religious order, said the Canadian
Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in a letter to Canada's foreign affairs
minister.
…
(Gatineau Archbishop Paul-André Durocher, CCCB president)…recently
participated, along with several other bishops from around the world, in a tour
of the affected area. The matter is urgent, he said, because the Supreme Court
of Israel has begun hearings on the legality of the Cremisan Valley wall. The
Cremisan Valley is located on the Palestinian side of the so-called Green Line,
the pre-1967 demarcation line separating Israel from Gaza, the West Bank and
the Golan Heights. It is currently part of the lands occupied by Israel.
This story indicates that no individual or group was in imminent
danger of life or limb. However, a number of Christian families and a Catholic
religious order were likely to be seriously disturbed. It appears that
Archbishop Durocher toured this Middle East site with other Bishops from around
the world so there was significant attention paid to this concern. The Bishops
apparently “believe the wall as planned will only deepen the wounds between
Palestinians and Israelis.”
Fair enough. It seems like a “social justice” matter and we
should always try to address these issues as they arise and ensure the best
outcomes for our fellow man. Logically, I think we could all agree that
addressing social justice issues would demand of our Bishops some mechanism
respecting proportionality
and priority.
Is it right for Catholic Bishops to wade into political waters and exert their
influence? You
bet.
So currently, should the Canadian Bishops be preoccupied
with any other urgent social justice initiatives?
UPDATE:
January 2, 2014
April 8, 2014
UPDATE:
January 2, 2014
April 8, 2014
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