Showing posts with label responsible journalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label responsible journalism. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

How can we understand how well or poorly our Church in Montreal is dealing with complaints?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------


From the start, dear reader, please allow me to identify myself as a retired priest in Montreal who is still active in ministry. What you find here are my "musings" as a Roman Catholic man of retirement age who also happens to be a priest. I no longer have any "mandate", nor title, nor any authority within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Montreal, beyond my occasional ministry here and there. However, as a citizen, I am entitled to my opinions like any other citizen, many of whom are not shy to broadcast their views, whether well informed or not. These days, I am receiving notes from friends and people who know me, along with quotes from the media such as:

--------------------------------------

Articles reporting on inaction by the Archdiocese of Montreal

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/montreal-archdiocese-slow-to-act-on-meddling-in-abuse-investigation-ombudsman

"MAUVAISE FOI" - par Isabelle Hachey - La Presse+     

« C’était devenu inacceptable », dit la juge Capriolo en claquant la porte

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-montreal/2022-12-12/archidiocese-de-montreal/c-etait-devenu-inacceptable-dit-la-juge-capriolo-en-claquant-la-porte.php 

--------------------------------------

What are we to make of all this noise?

I sympathize with all those who feel this way:

"It's frustrating to read this news. What is it going to take to light a fire under the comfortable pew? When will the penance be served ?   These were not only sins in the theological sense, but crimes in the legal sense."

Convicted pedophile stripped of priesthood by Montreal archdiocese | CTV News - 

"It's unacceptable for an institution that is at the cornerstone of the foundation of Montreal and of Quebec, with a worldwide reputation of trust, faith and love, to be so lazy in the reparation of its own legacy."

--------------------------------------

Wait just a minute here... let's step back to see the "big picture", shall we?

Sadly, these are merely the cracks indicating the current condition of our beloved Church in the Diocese due to aging, multiple departures of staff for various reasons - better pay "in the world", retirement, disenchantment, Covid-19 complications, fear of being unfairly judged in the media, etc. etc. - such that those who remain "in the breach" are frankly overwhelmed. They are doing their best, but obviously, at times their best is "not good enough" for the critics and bystanders of this world. Anyone can tear down the reputation of another person or of any group or organization; that's easy to do... all you have to do is repeat a rumour or misinformation often enough and it acquires the appearance of truth. Much more laborious is the task of the truly effective investigative journalist, who appear to be a dying breed.

Then, these days we also find slowness to return to live participation in the Sunday Liturgy on the part of many of "the faithful" who, not least due to lingering fear of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, are reluctant or slow to return to their church or categorically staying home to watch on a screen. Again, as a dear friend would often say in such situations, and with great compassion and sincerity: "I feel your pain."

Sometimes the Church leads... other times, she has to "catch up"....

Add to the current challenges of our Diocese the advent of the ombudsman, which from an ecclesial point of view - even from a worldly point of view - has been a revolutionary move in the best possible way of looking at it. However, what needs to be understood at the outset, is that the presence and function of a good ombudsman is bringing to the Church the highest administrative standards of our modern society. Lest it be forgotten or neglected, let us remember that much of the social progress in western civilization was initiated and pushed forward by members of the Church. Even the scientific revolution was mostly "carried" by Catholic priests, religious, and laity. However, it is public knowledge, clearly seen from following the labours of Pope Francis, that in terms of administrative practices, the RC Church has only lately been able to "catch up" to developments in secular society. 

For centuries in Québec education and health care were provided entirely by religious organizations: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and others. Had it not been for these generations of generous and dedicated people who worked for little or nothing; the population would have had no schools, no hospitals, no social services of any kind. It is only in the past few generations that governments took these over. 

Here's a question. Where is the deep gratitude of a people, of a nation, for those on whose shoulders we now stand, live, and breathe, enjoying the rights, freedoms, and duties that are now ours? A people or nation incapable of gratitude towards those who have gone before is doomed to end badly. 

It was a very responsible and courageously selfless move for our Diocese to hire an ombudsman. It is a good thing, yes, but keep in mind that these administrative standards to which the ombudsman now holds the Diocese did not "fall from the sky" into our society, but were developed over decades and, for certain administrative principles, over centuries. As these administrative principles and practices developed - often driven by the profit principle in tandem with progressive social pressures - as well as in the course of the social and political revolution of the past six decades; all the institutions and people pushed, coerced, and carried by these changes and social evolution had TIME TO ADAPT.

A "new standard" of administrative principles and procedures....

The presence and ongoing role of the ombudsman in the Diocese of Montreal requires from this same Diocese an administrative response equal to these secular administrative standards of our modern society. Unfortunately, this new pressure is being put on the people, the workers of the Diocese, without allowing them the benefit of TIME TO ADAPT which have been enjoyed by administrative workers in business and public organizations for the past several decades. In addition, those who can be entrusted with the burden and responsibility of following up on the complaints received by the ombudsman are not many; they are few, and they already have full time posts requiring their attention, time, and energy. The Diocese has neither the personnel nor the resources of a multinational corporation, but is rather like a small family business struggling to make ends meet week by week, month by month. 

The great demographic expansion... and the Church shrinking....

A century ago the Diocesan Curia - the workers who are the immediate collaborators and workers of the archbishop - were only a handful at a time when parish churches saw thousands or tens of thousands of people every Sunday, each of them contributing their Sunday offering. Our population exploded with the post-WWII years, and so did our Church. Many new parishes were established in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. Especially with the aftermath of Vatican Council II from 1962 to 1965 and the various renewal movements which followed, the size of the Diocesan Curia swelled as well in order to respond to new needs and demands. Current conditions require the Diocesan Curia to shrink rapidly, back towards the size it was a century ago before the demographic expansion took place. This in large part explains the delays about which the ombudsman is currently unhappy. Two or three people cannot "handle" many complex cases simultaneously with their already heavy duties. They do what they can over a period of time, as much time as it takes. "When will it be ready? It will be ready when it's ready."

Urgent and serious cases are being handled fairly quickly, but "historic cases"....

The general population is well acquainted with the trial, condemnation, and imprisonment of an English speaking priest who was later laicized, returned to the state of a layman, for having sexually abused two minors. The Diocese acted quickly, in fact, more quickly than the police initially. From where I stand, having heard of recent actions taken promptly following the reception of complaints, it seems that the Diocese continues to prioritize serious cases. I imagine, considering the complaint of the ombudsman as published in the news lately, that what will take more time is the handling of "historic cases", cases from the past that may or may not have been handled completely or to the satisfaction of the plaintiffs.

It is also public knowledge that the Archbishop commissioned an exhaustive research of all the files for all cases of abuse going back several decades. It is not rocket science to imagine that satisfaction will no doubt be given, but that it will take the time it has to take, given the Diocese's very limited human and financial resources. It's like the local populations who don't want their neighbourhood church to be sold or demolished, but who have contributed little or nothing to that building's maintenance or repair for the past several decades or in their lifetime. They want the building to continue, but they have no intention whatsoever of loosening their purse strings to make that happen, and prefer to pass the buck.

The "revolutions" of the 20th and 21st centuries....

Looking back again at our history, as populations shifted, new suburbs cropped up, new parishes were erected, the population base of older parishes gradually shrank, along with the Sunday attendance in those older churches. At the same time, the technological, economic, and social revolutions which affected us all, and the resulting upheaval in administrative practices which rapidly ensued, caused our society to "run far ahead" of where our Church was in terms of administrative practices, which put the Church on a somewhat parallel but separate track in terms of office work and the handling of files, calls, needs, and requests. It was doubtless to be expected, under the circumstances, that the Diocesan Curia would not be able to deal with all the internal Church challenges and simultaneously keep up with the upheaval in administrative changes and developments in business, government, and society.

Since Pope Leo XIII's "Rerum Novarum" in 1891, the Church has championed human development....

That is why our Diocese - for various human and understandable reasons - is not yet in sync with the world's administrative standards, even while the Church "runs ahead" with its high excellence in the domains of faith, hope, and charity, such as: the promotion of human dignity, human development, justice and peace, promotion of care for migrants and itinerant people, creative forms of economy putting the human person in the centre, caring for the poor and exploited, and care for the environment. Building on the work of his predecessors Saint Pope John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis set a new standard for the protection of minors and other vulnerable people for the whole Church as recently as 2019. Again, though, human nature being what it is, it takes time for new perspectives, new understandings, new principles, new standards, and new administrative measures to be not only adopted in practice, but deeply integrated into our psyches, minds and hearts.

There is no defence against those who insist on remaining ignorant of the truth, the facts....

There are still those who, simply not knowing much about the Church from up close, still accuse "the Church" of being "rich" and indifferent to the poor. Add up the value of all the homes on your street and the values will add up to such a huge number as to give the impression that all those who live on your street "are rich" as well. The Church consists of thousands of parishes where the people erect, use, and maintain buildings, which seems like a lot of "riches". In fact, though, most churches barely have enough resources to pay their priests a basic living, let alone a reasonable wage. If the Pope is required to use part of the annual Papal Charities fund to cover his operating deficit, it is only because reduced attendance and offerings in the prosperous countries and the poverty of churches in other countries reduce or inhibit the regular revenues of local parishes and of their subsequent contributions to the Papal See. Wherever the Church exists, people's salaries and church expenses must still be paid.

What emerges here, I think, is that all too often we can employ two disparate standards: we justify ourselves with one standard, but then we hold the Church to a different standard. For example, I don't mind leaving a $15 tip to the waitress after a $120.00 meal with a relative or friend, but I may consider $15 far too much to drop into the collection basket at Church for my Sunday offering. Two different places; two different standards. Unfortunately, when the local church pays salaries and expenses, it is by the same standard from which none of us can escape. The cost of living is the same for everyone.

Applying 2 different standards only breeds confusion and ignorance....

The media outlets covering the latest kerfuffle over the ombudsman's latest report suffer, I believe, from this error of two different standards. Case in point: "in the world" you apply for a job, are interviewed at least once, must provide full c.v. and disclosure, may have the opportunity to negotiate your salary, then you receive a job description, after which you have periodic reviews after 90 days, six months, 12 months, and then on an annual basis. In the Curia, as needs and tasks arose and developed since the time of the colony, clergy and religious did most of the "heavy lifting", and good lay people who were known or who were looking for work were taken on. Often, they "learned on the job".

To put it simply, until recently, we've not had in the Church the benefit of such stringent administrative practices, nor detailed job descriptions, as those current in the marketplace. However, our current Archbishop, like Pope Francis with his Vatican Curia, saw the need and began leading the Diocesan Curia into reform. Some 5 years ago, or so, the Archbishop hired a competent lay woman with experience in HR - human resources - to start up a department of HR from scratch. She would have needed an assistant and a secretary, but all she had was herself... no funds. Well, she's still plugging away, occasionally is able to get some help, and is slowly putting in place HR measures and practices. Needless to say, human nature being what it is, there's a lot of resistance, and progress takes time.

The Diocese is deeply committed to a process of renewal, which takes time. The critical voices echoed in the media seem to be telling the Diocese: "There is no time. You have no time."

Now, suddenly, under the watch of the ombudsman, there simply is "no time", because we are being dragged into "today's administrative standards, ready or not". So, day by day more and more church workers are being held to the highest administrative standards, and, quite frankly, many are simply not yet up to the task, at least, not to the degree to be expected in business or public institutions which have been developing them for decades. A diocese can't just fire everybody in one fell swoop and start from scratch. There are also issues of justice and fair treatment of workers to be respected. It looks to me like we are all being dragged into the 21st century kicking and screaming and holding on for dear life.

Maybe this ongoing renewal of our diocese and the stringent demands of the ombudsman will continue to cost us and "more administrative heads may have to roll", as it were; who can tell? One media article, perhaps quoting the ombudsman's report, insinuated that the Diocese was using canon law to conceal or protect people against whom there may be a complaint. There again, those who are ignorant of how the Church operates, and who may want to remain ignorant, can't understand that canon law is part of the Roman Catholic Church's "code" of conduct. No diocese, bishop, priest, or baptized person has an "option" of not abiding by canon law, but must live in accord with it. Clergy are strictly held to live and work in accord with canon law. People complain about the delays in civil legal procedures and courts, but they accept that this is the way it is. Well, it's the same with Church canonical procedures.

Jesus continues to offer "eternal life" through his Church.... 

In the meantime, in appears to me - I could be wrong - that news outlets are glad to have one more reason to beat up on "the church". Any time "the Church" stands out - like at Christmas and Easter - she makes a "good target" I suppose. If there's no "new" news, rehashing "old" news will have to do. For those of us who love the Church, she is our Mother, because through her our God gives us life, a share in eternal life. Jesus defined eternal life this way, according to John the Evangelist: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3 

The Church is our mother, and she doesn't need us to add our own scandalized grumblings and strident recriminations from our comfortable couches. Frustration can be a profitable thing, if we interpret it as part of "the cross" that Jesus says we must all be willing to bear if we would follow Him. As Father John Walsh of beloved memory used to say and actually wrote: "It may be more comfortable to watch the parade from the sidelines, but it is far more effective to join the parade." We'll see how it goes. 

The new policy of protecting vulnerable people is working and continues to be developed....

We know that in 2019-2020 a priest was accused, judged, condemned, imprisoned, and laicized for having sexually abused two minors. In the past two years alone the Archbishop has brought the diocesan personnel and many priests through sensitivity training in order to enable everyone to participate in helping to prevent abuse of any kind from every happening again. Not everyone has been through the formation yet, but our collection of parishes, movements, clergy and laity can't be expected to move "in lock step" like the employees of a large corporation who are given no choice if they want to keep their salary. Our Church has salaried people but it also has retired people and volunteers. 

The opeating principle of the R.C. Church is "good will"; like what the angels spoke of to the shepherds guarding their flocks by night in the fields near Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' Nativity, which we are preparing these days to celebrte. The church is not the military on parade. Human nature being what it is, there will always be risks, but we try to minimize them and to put everyone involved "on alert", which is a very good thing to do. In many ways, Montreal is leading the way for other churches.

It is true, as Pope Francis repeats, that even one single act of abuse is criminal and unacceptable. The Roman Catholic Church consists of 2,248 dioceses, over 5,600 bishops, over 414,582 priests, and 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. Unlike a tightly organized multinational corporation, the R.C. Church can only move slowly but surely. We have all seen how long it has taken Pope Francis, with all his determined efforts, to reform the Vatican Curia, a task which has made much progress but which continues to this day. Strong decisions are being made, strong measures are being implemented, and strong action is being taken, but the Church is not a police state, civil government, or military.

True progress takes time....

You know the expression well: "Rome wasn't built in a day." However, those who are disgruntled with the Church's progress to date - whether they take issue with the Vatican, with the many dioceses of a particular country, with their own nation or diocese, or with their own parish - progress takes time. Every time someone new comes along, they have to be trained and start from scratch. "You can't turn a ship on a dime."; as the captain of the Titanic discovered to his discomfiture and to his death.

Much is currently being done, which is good, but reports say that there remain trouble spots where action may not be happening fast enough. However, in making these remarks, we are not distinguishing among the varied levels of complaint - from the person who doesn't like a priest's tone of voice or the way he looks at them, at the less serious end of the spectrum, to an actual allegation of sexual abuse, abuse of authority and power, or psychological abuse at the really serious end.

I have heard of at least 3 priests recently - good young priests with fine reputations and who were well loved - against whom there was a complaint, not necessarily of a sexual nature but perhaps in terms of the treatment of relationships, or simply because they weren't scrupulously following 21st century administrative procedures. I can tell you that "a great big hand reached down from the sky and pulled them rapidly out of both their ministry and residence", basically making them "disappear" for the duration of the ensuing investigation, whether or not they would later be found guilty. 

The process can be merciless... which is difficult for a Church that is a Mother....

Should it turn out that they are innocent and were falsely or mistakenly accused, the damage to their reputation will probably remain irreparable... "the cost of doing business in this modern age". These modern ultra high standards are killing for the parish communities that suddenly find their priest "disappeared" without explanation. We all agree that overt sexual abuse of any kind is intolerable, but some less grave forms of abuse are also reported. Even if one person or a few people have a legitimate complaint that they felt mistreated by their priest, the truth often is that all the other people in the parish may hold the priest in high regard, appreciate his ministry, and dearly love him. None of this matters in the face of a complaint, and the priest is "taken out". The ombudsman is watching and waiting. 

The rigorous standards which brought us the ombudsman require confidentiality; such that very little if anything can be told to the parishioners, lest the identity of the person making the complaint be revealed. Even in the case of the priest found to be innocent, when it turns out that he did nothing wrong; nevertheless, confidentiality requires protection even for the identity of the one who complained; so, either way, guilty or innocent, the priest will have to live with the consequences for the rest of his life... "the cost of doing business in this modern age". This whole process can be merciless, which is difficult for the Church to endure; for she truly is a Mother and exists to "give life" and "give life in abundance" as Jesus promised. The Church is Jesus' instrument in the world to manifest the "maternal love" of God his Father by the workings of the Holy Spirit, the "Lord and Giver of life".

The latest headlines....

The current hullabaloo in the news is primarily about two things. First, if I understand the situation correctly, there are only 2 or 3 full time workers at the Diocese who must deal with some or many or all of these complaints, and they are already overburdened in their regular functions and duties. The complaints are above and beyond their regular duties and, probably, "way above their pay grade" to employ a secular business term. To all intents and appearances, they are good people doing the best they can. In some cases, the well experienced worker retired and has been replaced by someone new who has to "learn the ropes", which takes at least 6 to 12 months. Then, some of these new people leave to earn more money "in the world", which again requires someone new to start from scratch. In other words, the Diocese is hard pressed from within and without, with little relief in sight. Again, it is my impression that all too often, media outlets seem not to care for this depth of facts. Journalism used to pride itself on being "investigative", but now all too often media reports rather resemble gossip sheets that simply pass on whatever reports or claims may be had from whatever sources are available. 

Second, an episcopal vicar, in other words a close collaborator of the archbishop, has been accused and allegedly messed up. His intentions may have been squeaky clean - I don't know the details, nobody except the ombudsman and a few others know - but he allegedly forwarded something confidential about a complaint to whoever it was he was communicating with. He allegedly broke the rigid rules of confidentiality and the ombudsman is ripping mad. We can sympathize. As ombudsman, she has the task and duty of being the champion of those with a serious complaint. As a result of these high standards, whether the episcopal vicar in question messed up or not, "he's gone", "burned", "finished".

Apparently, we're "not working fast enough"....

Third, her other complaint is that the process of handling complaints isn't going fast enough according to the standard she is putting to the Diocese. Well, hello! The Diocesan Curia is not a multinational corporation with a president, 5 vice-presidents, and an army of department managers with dozens of employees each, all earning six figures annually, and leaning heavily on the people below them.

All the clergy earn the same, from the newly ordained to the priest with 50 years of experience, from the newly ordained priest to the archbishop and his auxiliary bishops. In 2022, that was $27,601.46 + an amount for room - $7,992.19 and board - $6,750.73 plus employer contributions to the group insurance and pension funds; for a total value of ca. $45,000.00. Lay people working for the Diocese, depending on whether they have 1 or 2 certificates, a Bachelor's or a Master's degree, earn from $33,998 to $40,384.00 plus employer contributions to the group insurance and pension funds, putting them roughly on a par with the clergy. It is true that the clergy are better off than their predecessors prior to around 1960 when the first annual salary of $1,000.00 was instituted. Before that, priests only got $1.00 for each Mass they celebrated, period. That was it; apart from anything more that people may have wanted to give them from time to time. In those days, pastors took charge of the Christmas and Easter collections, from which they had to administer the rectory staff and expenses, including food. Despite these figures, which dramatically increased in recent years to ca. $8,000.00 when I was ordained in 1983, people can still find better conditions "in the world", and they do, regularly, leave to do that. 

For priests on pensions today, the older their pension is, the less they currently receive, due to the rapid increases in salary in the 1980's and 1990's, and the less likely they are to earn enough to be able to live where they would like to live; such that they probably have to settle for whatever they can afford, like many pensioners in the general population, with the exception of course of those who benefit from family inheritances putting them among those who are "independently wealthy". As prices continue to rise, the average priest, like the average lay person, will be able to afford even less.

Do you have a right to an opinion if you are "merely a bystander" and don't support the Church?

Meanwhile, the vast majority of "the faithful" either "watch the Mass" from the comfort of their home or don't participate at all. We sympathize with and do our best to live in solidarity with, and to support, those who are really poor. No doubt that Jesus still finds among the poor the "widow giving her two little coins" for love of the Church. Among those many people who live well enough, very few actually loosen their purse strings to contribute to the Church, and when they do, for most of them, it wouldn't even cover the tip for a cup of coffee. At the same time, the cost of repairs and maintenance on church buildings has doubled or more, with the general result that they cannot be maintained and people who still go to church hope and pray their church will remain open as long as possible until the city has to condemn the building as unsafe and order it locked up; as happened over a year ago with St. Gabriel. Many or most of our parishes cannot even pay their priest's salary, let alone do maintenance.

"In the world", the president and CEO makes a decision and sends it to his VP's, who in turn lean heavily on their many managers, who then tighten the screws on their dozens of workers. Nope, not here. We're talking 2 or 3 people IN ALL to handle the complaints coming from the ombudsman! I could be wrong, but this is the way it seems to be to me as I approach my 40th anniversary.

Time to "wake up"!

So, let's wake up and smell the coffee, folks. Let's get real and stop flying high in the stratosphere with our highfalutin discourses about "how scandalous it is how the Church is handling or not handling" the wide spectrum of complaints keeping the ombudsman busy. The Diocese of Montreal stands with our Archbishop and is decidedly committed to taking the part of each person with a complaint of abuse of any kind. That is good, and we stand by this principle and we stand in solidarity with those who have suffered at the hands of those who have abused them. We feel their pain and join them in praying to God for their healing, comfort, and satisfaction as they are heard and given the help they need.

Meanwhile, we give thanks to God for the good people who, because they work for "the Church", endure in the media a variety of public criticisms, accusations, and condemnations. Nevertheless, they remain faithfully at their posts, for the love of God, for the good of souls, and for love for their Church. For the glory of God, they continue to do the best they can, faithfully supporting our archbishop. 

Jesus warned us not to expect to be treated any better than He was, the Son of God Himself, Love in Person. See how the apostles / evangelists reported this in John 15:18-21 and Matthew 10:22-24. Undoubtedly these good workers will continue to find much comfort in the truth that they are living squarely in the 8th beatitude as reported in his Gospel by Matthew 5:10-12.

----------------------------------------------------------------

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

+ + + + + + + + + + + +  

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

How secular society "views" our efforts in the Roman Catholic Church of Montreal to implement "responsible pastoral ministry" and accountability in our Church's use of its "servant authority" - with attention to protecting, defending, and promoting the safety and rights of all members of the population - especially the most vulnerable.

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The Roman Catholic Church of Montreal has been going to bold, innovative, and costly lengths in her efforts to implement "responsible pastoral ministry" and accountability in our diocesan Church's use of its "servant authority" - with the explicit intention of protecting, defending, and promoting the safety and the rights of all members of the population - and with particular attention to the most vulnerable, such as those who have suffered abuse. 

How our secular society "views" our efforts VS what that looks like in the "inside"

---------------------- 


The Press

Morgan Lowerie of The Canadian Press posted on April 19th, 2022 an article titled "Montreal Catholic church ombudswoman details delays, resistance to complaint process." At first view, the impression given is that the institution of the Roman Catholic Church in Montreal is "dragging its heels" in following through on its commitment to move away from "the way things were done" to doing things with greater responsibility, transparency, accountability, and especially with commitment to take the point of view of vulnerable people, especially those who have suffered any form of abuse.

Perhaps it is inevitable that anyone standing "outside" the local Church would see the situation that way, which is precisely the stance of the Ombudswoman herself, Me. Marie Christine Kirouack, Ad.E.. One of the reasons she was chosen for the role of Ombudswoman for the Diocese of Montreal was precisely because she is not a R. C. Christian, and therefore, not part of the R. C. Church of Montreal. She is completely independent and, it is therefore believed, completely impartial. 

The models of responsibility and accountability from society's governments

However, from the point of view those on the "inside" of the local R. C. Church, this can at times seem to be a great disadvantage. Our society generally has several "measuring sticks" for honesty, transparency, accountability, responsibility, and many other "values" held by consensus in our society to be important. Such values are important in government in order for the said government to be seen as, and actually to be, true to the population, to whom any government is accountable. Members of the general population, in particular citizens, manifest their satisfaction or lack of it at election time. However, all those who work in public service are directly accountable normally only to their superiors, but only indirectly to the public through people's communications with them.

The models of responsibility and accountability from business, commerce, science, & technology

In business and commerce, as well as in science and technology, the individuals and organizations which "carry on the activity" are equally accountable to those who own said enterprises, which includes shareholders, but also the employees, without whom there would be no activity. These enterprises are more sensitive to the satisfaction of the general population, which manifests itself through success in the quantity and value of total transactions in the course of the business year and its quarters.

The models of responsibility and accountability from educational institutions

In educational institutions as well, the activity carried on in elementary and high schools, colleges, universities, and technical schools also have the means of ensuring that those who carry on the activity do so in a manner sensitive to the expectations of those to whom they offer their services, that is, the student population, which can vary considerably from one year to the next. 

The R. C. Church is not at all like government, or business, or commerce, or science, or technology, or even educational institutions

Unlike all of these other realms of society, the "point of contact" between those who carry on the principal activity for which the institution or agency exists, at the "providing or giving end" on the one hand, and all those at the "benefitting or receiving end" on the other hand, that "point of contact" is comparatively minimal or small or even practically non-existent.

Government services and all the apparatus of its bureaucracy - with its thousands of public servants and employees - are "at work" the standard number of hours every week of the year, with possible exception for reduced hours during summer vacations and statutory holidays. There are constant and unceasing "contacts" between government agencies and "the population" all year round.

The same can be said for businesses, commerces, scientific institutions, technological enterprises, and all manner of educational institutions. These all have "business or school hours" and other times during which contact with the public is made possible. 

What all these institutions have in common is their ability to implement policies with immediacy and clarity by passing them down the "chain of command" or "channels of communication". They have the liberty and the means to implement "ongoing formation" of employees through statutory formation days by means of the funds generated by their principal activities. 

All of society's institutions and organizations are put together in such a way as to entrust specific functions to specific individuals, such that each worker's "duties" are fairly clearly defined and more often than not restricted to a fairly narrow "corridor" of focus of activity. That makes it fairly easy for these workers to implement policies sent "down from above". These institutions also generally have the means to ensure "quality control" by the appointment of supervisory personnel for this purpose.

The R. C. Church is very different from all of these

There was a time, when society was still considered a manifestation of "Christendom", that is, a society principally organized on the principle tenets of the Gospels. The Church's "authority" was generally acknowledged and accepted by the general population, and those who dissented were generally deemed to be in various states of "rebellion" or "heresy" of "disobedience", for each of which states there were very specific "sanctions" or "punishments" or "consequences". 

Principally since WW II, the "faithful", that is the "baptized", have questioned and even "walked away" from that authority, and some have even "walked away from God", or at least the "version of God" as presented to them in the R. C. Church. This phenomenon of "walking away" is currently being painfully felt by local businesses who observe their sales volumes shrinking to the benefit of Amazon and other online enterprises. 

However, the key difference between the R. C. Church and the rest of our society's institutions is that the "point of contact" between those providing the services in the Church - the clergy and those assisting them, both employees and volunteers - is comparatively minimal. Those who go to Church on Sunday - in Québec deemed to be around 2% of the baptized - are not there every Sunday. Even when they are there, it is only one hour or less a week. The vast majority of the "clientele" or "membership" have no contact at all with those providing the service except occasionally for baptisms, the other three sacraments of initiation, weddings, and funerals; as well as occasionally for the Anointing of the Sick.

So, from the point of view of the clientele or membership, the Church has very little contact with them or means of implementing any policies. This can only be done when people make contact for services or when we manage to reach out to them through social and other media. From the point of view of the workers and their supervisors, the sheer magnitude of the challenge of a severely aging workforce while maintaining services and infrastructure, such as buildings, is so great as to be practically unmanageable, let alone finding time and energy to impart, offer formation for, and actually implement fundamental changes in policy and practice, and for several reasons.

First, the clergy are aging and working well beyond the age of retirement and even working in sickness and disability; moreover, they are almost entirely not being replaced by younger recruits.

Secondly, the attendance rate is so low, that most churches are unable to sustain their very existence, let alone any projects for improvement or expansion. It is the minority of parish churches that have enough people attending, and enough representation from younger generations and families, that they are able to generate such projects. 

Thirdly, the rate of contribution of the members is ridiculously low. There is a  gap of logic which seems insurmountable between social secular standards in spending and contribution standards within the Church. Most of us go out occasionally to a restaurant. We generally think nothing of giving the 15% tip and those hand held invoice machines even show a choice of 18% now for the tip. This would amount to anywhere from $4 to $20 or more, depending on how many meals we pay for. We don't hesitate to pay such tips but when in Church, for most people their offering hasn't changed from the $2 they thought was generous enough decades ago. 

Rare are those who make weekly offerings of $20 to $100. As a result, most parishes cannot even afford the salary of their priest, let alone maintenance and repairs. Most of our churches are so run down they would require millions of dollars of work in order to avoid being condemned by the public health and security authorities in the next few years. 

Fourthly, the shrinking financial viability of the parishes has also caused the "well to run dry" for the Diocese's Curia and its central governing services. In the 1950's parishes contributed 3% of all their receipts to the Diocese, but parishes at that time were seeing from 5,000 to 15,000 people every Sunday, including children, youth, and the aged. At Sunday attendance began to drop in the 1970's that 3% "diocesan contribution" was gradually increased to 5%, then to 7%, and finally to 9% in the 1990's. That final measure was almost useless due to the degree to erosion of Sunday attendance. 

Fifthly, what this means for the Diocesan Curia is that it no longer has the means to employ all the people it would need in order to adequately serve all the parishes, movements, families, and individual members of the Diocese of Montreal. The personnel it does have are overloaded with duties required of them by the development of all the activity generated by the Church's expansion after WW II when the number of parishes more than doubled. Over the same period, the number of clergy has shrunk and most of these are now aged beyond retirement and health. 

Not only that, but it is often a challenge for the personnel that we do have, both aging clergy and laity, to take their weekly day of rest (day off) and annual vacation and annual retreat. Some even find it difficult to take sick days and feel obliged to go on working even while sick or disabled or in varying degrees of convalescence. If women were priests, they would be unable to take maternity leave. 

For the size of operation of our Diocese, our Human Resources department should have a staff of at least 4 or 5 people, but we had only one person for three years and only recently hired a second. Our Office for Pastoral Personnel has a few more people but even they are unable to keep up with the sheer magnitude of the challenges arising from hundreds of priests, deacons, and thousands of lay workers, both employed and volunteer. 

Sixthly, all of these conditions make it practically impossible for the Diocese to implement with any efficiency and speed the reforms to which it has committed itself. Valiant efforts are being made, and in particular cases, specific attention is being applied to effectively implement many of the reforms made manifest in the Capriolo Report. However, overall, it will take considerable time for all the personnel in all the departments and in all of the parishes to also integrate all of these principles.

Seventhly, we must keep in mind that the "culture" and "ways of doing" and "mindsets" of the Diocesan Curia took many decades to develop over the past century. It will take at least a full generation, so we're looking at a comple of decades, for the new "culture" and "ways of doing" and "mindsets" of the "new paradigm" to be fully integrated and implemented. It took a century for the reforms of the Council of Trent to be more or less fully implemented, and the reforms of the Second Vatican Council have yet to be "fully implemented" throughout the whole Roman Catholic Church worldwide.

Conclusion: If the Roman Catholic Church has not only survived but prospered for two millennia, it is because it follows and observes a timeline that is eminently "human" and which respects the frailties and possibilities of our human nature. In the secular world, governments fall, businesses fail, and all manner of agencies cease to exist. For such reasons, they feel obliged to function on the basis of quarterly reports, even when doing so causes them to lose sight of inevitable developments on the horizon immediately ahead of them. 

So, dear Reader, that is why the Press will continue to suspect that our Church is not progressing "fast enough" with these reforms, which is to be expected from anyone who knows nothing of the way the Church actually is "on the inside". For those of us who are on the inside, we can barely manage to keep up with the regular duties from our call to serve the people of God, both those who are "regulars" and those who merely expect the Church to "be there" when they want or have need of it or when it just happens to be convenient for them - let alone take care of infrastructures - while we continue to age and not be replaced by younger recruits. 

-------------------------------------------

Previous posts of interest: It is enlightening and even amazing to see how the Lord our God has been constantly preparing us over time for the trials, troubles, and tribulations awaiting us in the future. Browse the following list of links to posts since this time six years ago in 2016 and see how the key issues of life, both individually and collectively, are brought to our attention when we most need them.



Marriage or celibacy? What is better, healthier, more likely to lead to happiness: a life with sex or a life without sex? What about contentment versus loneliness? Does human life have a universal purpose and meaning? - November 26th, 2021 






DAY 148 of the COVID-19 WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC in 2020 - "Do not be afraid!"- Reflection on the "Law of the Gift". August 4th, 2020

It may be legal, but it remains offensive - the Québec / Newfoundland and Labrador hydro electric agreement and long term contract - July 21st, 2020

Abortion is a failure of manhood more than a woman's choice - Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist - June 24th, 2020






God's plan to bring us into abundance of life - By mere coincidence, today happens to be the Eve of the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the day the Lord Jesus Christ met him on the road to Damascus - January 24th, 2020








Hope through resistance in the midst of troubled times - Could Venezuela's "social meltdown" happen to us? - July 25th, 2019

Abortion - how has it come to this? - The way it once was and the way it is now. - June 4th, 2019

Value of life - harm of abortion - what to do? - There are different views: society's changing views, "humanistic" views, various religious views, Christian views, and oh yes, what might be God's view? the view of our Creator? - May 25th, 2019

Christians, like Jesus Christ, have always been hated - See the "Letter to Diognetus" from the 2nd century A.D. - May 23rd, 2019

Madonna House Apostolate - from a visit there - April 10th, 2019

Homophobia Schmobophobia - A lot has been happening, has it not? March 2nd, 2019






On a Mission... Together! - October 9th, 2018






Why does God allow us to be tried, tested, and made to suffer? - See Saint Ignatius of Loyola's teaching on the "Discernment of Spirits" from his "Spiritual Exercises" - May 30th, 2018







Who will defend the innocence of our children? What about women, men, and the elderly in their dignity? The gift of human sexuality? - August 24th, 2017

“Please, talk to me about love, Mommy, Daddy.” Children can best receive formation in their affections and human sexuality from their parents. - April 24th, 2017 

The suicide of a loved one provokes an upheaval in the survivors. What happens when we die? What comes next? What can we do about death before it happens to us? - April 8th, 2017

When a loved one dies, our loss plunges us into deep grief. We need God's help to continue caring for ourselves and for others. - March 24th, 2017

Controversy and confusion over Pope Francis & "Amoris Laetitia" Part 2 - In more personal settings and situations we need to show more compassion, wisdom, understanding, and counsel. - February 20th, 2017

Controversy and confusion over Pope Francis & "Amoris Laetitia" Part 1 - Many are uncomfortable with God's mercy and prefer to "lay down the law". - February 18th, 2017

There are more affluent people than ever in human history; yet why are they / we so miserable? The original sin as rebellious selfish will still pulls at us. - February 6th, 2017

How do we discern God's calling in our daily lives? Q & A - Wanting to "be special" versus giving meaning and purpose to our lives. - February 4th, 2017


Pope Francis vs critics = mercy vs legalism - People have trouble holding to both the truth and mercy as God has always done towards us. - January 18th, 2017






Admirable fidelity to Jesus Christ in the face of death and the onslaught of the conquering armies of Islam - The converging and intertwining histories of Christianity and Islam - April 5th, 2016


----------------------------------------------------------------

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

+ + + + + + + + + + + +  

Monday, February 28, 2022

Ukraine - Russia - Europe - NATO - U.S.A.


Cordial Greetings and Respect to all at N.A.T.O.

As I understand the history of the past century, both the U.N. and N.A.T.O. came into existence in the context of the post-WW II world and the intensifying Cold War.

1989 saw the beginning of the dismantling of the U.S.S.R. and the liberation of many of the nations previously dominated by the Soviet Union. Some of these have subsequently engaged freely in relations with Russia, with formal or informal ties.

Meanwhile, despite the dismantling of the U.S.S.R., the U.S.A. and N.A.T.O. did not really "step back" or dismantle the "demonstrations of force" put in place during the Cold War and which, after the end of the Cold War, did not really make sense any more. It is understandable that mutual mistrust would continue for a while, but what actually happened is much worse.

Is it not true that Russia has complained for many years that these "shows of force" on the peripheries of Russia's borders by the U.N., N.A.T.O., and the U.S.A. have not been significantly reduced? In fact, is it not true that military installations and shows of force - particularly by the U.S.A. - have actually increased? Many excuses have been employed, but always with the same effect, which is to continue the pressure on Russia on all sides.

The Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 was all about the U.S.S.R. in effect saying to the U.S.A. "You continue your shows of force along our borders with your military presence; very well, now how do you like it when we take steps to do the same along your borders?"

In effect, the world has basically extended indefinitely into the future measures taken during the Cold War and which no longer make sense. Those who have seized power are obviously reluctant to let go of power, especially the U.S.A.; regardless of the effects they are having on other nations. Regardless of the apparently peace loving words expressed by American statesmen towards other nations in general and in Eastern Europe in particular; their political and military actions and the actions of their multinational corporations do anything but promote peace. The growing presence of U.S. military around the borders of Russia have done nothing but provoke the "sleeping bear".

In 1945-46 England, France, Russia, and the U.S.A. assembled together in Nuremberg, Germany, judged 22 Nazi leaders accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity; most of whom were convicted, and many executed. In succeeding decades, some nations have continued to commit "crimes against humanity"; yet these nations have not been brought to justice.

Consider how the U.S.A. invaded Iraq on the pretext of weapons of mass destruction, which turned out to be false. With the removal of Saddam Hussein, Iraq was plunged into chaos, and various groups previously kept in order by Saddam Hussein found themselves free to conduct their policies of aggression against others. For example, almost all the Christians who had lived in relative peace for millennia were intensively persecuted and most of them left the country.

In a post cold war world, both Russia and the U.S.A. have "meddled" in the affairs of other nations, such as Afghanistan and Syria to name only these two, and at times committed crimes against humanity, but neither of them have been judged for these crimes. No one has brought them to justice.

There is no denying that there is a centuries long close relationship between Ukraine and Russia. The belligerent insistence of the U.S.A. that Ukraine be introduced into NATO has been done under cover of benevolence, in the name of peace, for the sake of security for all Europe, and other high sounding words. In actual fact, though, this intrusion by the U.S.A. in the affairs of Ukraine in particular and Europe in general has done nothing but stab at one of Russia's most sensitive spots. This is deliberate provocation, and we can only ask "Why? What is the U.S.A. trying to accomplish?" Even Ukraine has consistently told the U.S.A. in effect to shut up and back off, but America is not very good at listening. America insists on the world treating Russia as if there have been no changes since the disintegration of the U.S.S.R.

It seems obvious that these past few years, Russia's invasions of parts of Ukraine have been acts of frustration with the lack of listening or respect on the part of N.A.T.O. and the U.S.A. towards Russia and its own legitimate security concerns. Why is it that Russia is constantly treated as an enemy of humanity and that no consideration has been given to Russia's legitimate concerns regarding its own security? Nevertheless, it is true to say that if Russia is a bully; then it's not the only bully on the block.

The U.S.A. goes about intruding, sometimes violently, in the affairs of other nations; whether invited to do so or not, going so far as to topple governments overly loyal to their own people but resistant to the promotion of "American interests", that is, the interests of American capitalistic multinational corporations, the same ones dominating the lobbies in Washington. I believe there is a long list of nations in which the U.S.A. came apparently to aid and build up democracy, but in their wake left those nations no longer able to support their own populations and crushed under national debts to the World Bank encouraged by the U.S.A. The signs pointing to U.S.A.'s colonial ambitions are indisputable.

Why do the U.N., N.A.T.O. and the U.S.A. continue to be "asleep at the switch?" It's only a question of time before the whole world stands up as a single man and shouts: "The emperor has no clothes!"

Respectfully,

Gilles Surprenant, Montreal QC CANADA

-----------------------------

POSTSCRIPT - Thursday, April 21st, 2022.

After over 8 weeks of Russia's "war on Ukraine", it would seem that the West's fears concerning Russia have been proven to be well founded. However, Russia's current faults do not negate the faults of all the other national players on the world stage. There is very little, if any, "moral high ground" here. As long as nations pursue what they narrowly perceive to be their own interests, with disregard or even contempt for their neighbours' legitimate concerns; peace will elude humanity. 

World leaders may very well have their fingers on "the switch", namely, the "switch triggering their weapons" which they may contemplate using against their neighbours. My use of the word "switch" was not this meaning, but rather the "switch" which turns on the lights enabling us to recognize one another as all sharing the one common home of the natural environment on Planet Earth. 

Pope Francis is right on the money to call on the leaders of the world's nations to adopt a perspective on their neighbours that recognizes their humanity, and that we are all "brothers and sisters" in the one human "family", and that we need to cooperate if we are to make any progress in promoting the "common good" in a way that benefits all; especially the most vulnerable, excluded, and discarded.     Gilles Surprenant
----------------------------------------------------------------

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 2004-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
 

+ + + + + + + + + + + +  

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

It may be legal, but it remains offensive

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The year was 1969

Churchill Falls Labrador Corporation and Hydro-Québec signed a deal with the latter investing about half and taking the added risk of covering potential cost overruns in exchange for a long term fixed rate which, at the time, indicated no risk for the CFLCo due to the fact that energy prices in the world had been stable since 1950. It took a few years for the dam to be built and for electricity to begin to flow out, but already by then the world had dramatically changed.

The Montreal La Presse on February 16, 1971 reported the signing of an international deal initiated by OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which - following on the Middle-East conflicts involving the State of Israel - decided to stop letting the world push them around. They had oil and the West wanted it; so they decided it was time for the West to pay the piper, as it were.

I recall seeing - from 1969 to 1972, the year that I learned to drive - the price of gasoline go from $0.29 to $0.39 and then to $0.49 for one imperial gallon. Around 1980 we went metric; so that would have been $0.064 to $0.086 to $0.108 per litre! We're talking 10 cents a litre here! Then during the '70's the price kept creeping upwards with OPEC firmly holding the reins: $0.54 per imperial gallon in 1973; $0.63 in 1974; $0.80 in 1975; $0.87 in 1977; $0.92 a gallon in 1978; and finally, in 1980, we went metric and now it was $0.296 a litre = $1.34,6 for one imperial gallon; while in the UK and Europe and even in the U.S.A. it was twice or three times that much.

Our world had radically changed in just a few years

So, while the ink on the agreement was barely dry and the electricity started flowing out of Churchill Falls, Hydro-Québec was making a mint and Churchill Falls Labrador was getting crumbs. It was a swift kick to the head and they realized they were screwed, and screwed for the next 65 years! Meanwhile, Hydro-Québec was waltzing to the bank like someone holding a humongous winning lottery ticket.

In the best of all possible worlds, either Hydro-Québec or Québec leaders or the population itself might have realized the lopsided stakes here, and someone could have taken the bull by the horns and said to Churchill Falls, "Look, I know we have a signed agreement, and we're not obligated to do any more, but, this is ridiculous. Here's what we'd like to do. You're stuck at the 1969 price which is now increasing geometrically with no sign of stopping. We have to pay back our investment, but it won't kill us to increase what you get to 10% maybe as much as 20% of whatever increases in price we get. If the price goes down, so will yours, of course." I don't know, anything along those lines would have been a civilized thing to do, a gentleman's offer and gesture, a sign that we still have some class.

But no. On the Québec side, we walked away like the proverbial lotto winner or casino winner, laughing all the way to the bank. As for the people on the other side, "f.... 'em!" "They signed just as we did; so they can live with it now." Yeah, right.

What we did is worthy of the worst rogue capitalism for which North America is known, and more especially, our immediate neighbours to the south. Just look at and listen to their leader, President Trump, and you'll see this brand of rogue capitalism at work. Any competitor is a enemy to crush to the ground so that it will never rise again.

Does this make any sense, but at all?

What about the facts?

Admittedly, without Hydro-Québec taking the risks and investing as it did, Churchill Falls would never have been built, and Newfoundland-Labrador would have nothing at all to show. So, according to the letter of the law, Hydro-Québec was and is fully entitled to a good return on their investment and proper compensation for taking the risks by assuming any potential cost overruns. It could have decided to invest on Québec territory instead. The "new Québec" after Jean Lesage's win in 1960 was only 9 years old and there was a lot of work to do to bring the province into the 20th century in many ways. Still, though, according to the CBC to Churchill Falls Labrador Corporation's $2 billion in profits, Hydro-Québec has taken in $28 billion! That's 1,400 %! That's a humongous amount of profit... no kidding!

To laugh at the other partner for a few years would be quite understandable and forgivable, but to "stick it to them" for the past 50 years and to go on "sticking it to them" until 2041 is a bit much, don't you think? Hell, we could triple their take at $6 billion and still get $24 billion for Hydro-Québec's coffers, according to those reports. That's doable. Clearly, we could do much better, which would help Newfoundlanders solve their current extreme financial crisis, and we'd still be taking in billions in PROFITS, because the price of electricity isn't showing any signs of collapsing!

How to understand this?

Clearly, the players here are not interested in being or living or acting as gentlemen. Heck, not even as people of the same species living on the same planet! It's all about making the maximum profit and to hell with everybody else.... "Hey Mom, look at how well we're doing over here!"

I have always been proud to be Canadian, proud to be a Quebecer, proud to be a Montrealer, but today, I am ashamed. I have friends in Newfoundland-Labrador, and when I see their questioning looks, I have no answer to give them, and I can only hang my head, because I have been silent for all this time in the face of a social scandal of human proportions. And this is only one of the many scandals and incongruities of our generations that we have witnessed and about which we have done little or nothing. Well, no more....

Sadly, it's past the time to wake up and smell our planet falling apart

The glaciers are melting at an exponential rate, to the point that scientists are embarrassed to make any predictions about how fast it will accelerate, but the writing is on the wall: sooner than we think, hundreds of millions of people living along ocean coasts will be flooded out and displaced. We think we've been in crisis mode with Covid-19? We haven't seen anything yet! Just wait until those millions of people cross into neighbouring countries just to survive and see what happens then....

We're like people in a rowboat on the ocean having an argument, and one guy decides to stick it to the others and punches a hole in the boat... "So there! That will show you who's boss around here!" Not so smart, as water quickly rises in the boat and the sharks circle around just on the other side...."

Even kids know all about getting along and cooperating. We were kids once and we learned that lesson, but we've forgotten it. Well, it's high time we learn it again, because time is running out. We of the human species currently occupying Planet Earth, we are in actual danger of going extinct, and it could very well happen in our lifetime; unless we wake up fast and start working together.

So, Hydro-Québec, buckle up and start talking nice to the other guys and gals

Okay, so I may be sounding naive here, right? But I'm a believer; so that means that I live primarily driven by hope. Why? Because I know that very soon we will all find ourselves standing in the presence of the Creator of the Universe, the One from whom we come and to whom we are all going, whether we believe that or not, and whether we like that or not. He is kind and gracious, but also just. He was warned us that if we are harsh to others, then we will get the same treatment. If we are kind to others, then we can expect to find kindness from Him as well.

So, Hydro, it's never too late! You can still come out of this smelling like a proverbial rose if you take the initiative and "make Churchill Falls Labrador Corp. an offer they can't refuse"... to give our good neighbors in Newfoundland-Labrador a break they sorely need and surely deserve. It's high time we do the right thing so we can look at ourselves in the mirror and, finally, not have reason to feel bad, to be ashamed of our cavalier treatment - FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS - of these good people. Yes, we took risks and were assured a good deal, but this has gone WAY, WAY, WAY beyond that. It's time.

Feel free to pass this on, to "pay it forward"

Even if we're stuck to a wheel chair and only able to type on a keyboard with the look of our eyes through an adapter, there's a lot we can each do to help make this world a little better. We can do a lot through just a few words at the right time, in the right place, to the right people.

As Pope Francis keeps saying, the Earth is our common home. So, I say, let's not treat it like a toilet, because that would mean that we are living in a toilet. Let's not treat it like a garbage dump, because that would mean that we are living in a garbage dump. Neither of those attitudes would reflect very well on us; so let's encourage one another to "rise to the occasion" and make a difference.

Check out the film "Tomorrow. Demain." to see how many people are already choosing a proactive course of action in their lives and improving the world around them for others.

Pope Francis will be receiving young people who want to make the world better be constructing an economy that puts people and our common home first, ahead of profits, and certainly not profits at all cost, even at the cost of destroying our common home. Check it out - the gathering planned for November 19-21, 2020 is being called "Economy of Francesco".

----------------------------------------------------------------

My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 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
 

+ + + + + + + + + + + +