Please click on the below link regarding a message to the faithful on euthanasia and assisted suicide issued by the Permanent Council on the recommendation of the Executive Committee. The message was prompted by and responds to the passage of Bill C-7 into law on 17 March 2021, which expands the eligibility criteria within Canada’s “MAiD” legislation.
Expansion of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada
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Message from the Catholic Bishops of Canada to the Faithful
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Happy Solemnity of the Annunciation
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Enter into the mystery of the Annunciation by contemplating the painting by Henry Tanner.
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Ethical Concerns Related to Currently Approved COVID-19 Vaccines
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Argentine boy saved from stray bullet by crucifix
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Dear Parishioners - Thank You
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Year of St. Joseph
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Advent Reflection, 2020Dear friends,
I “Advent” greet before I “Christmas” greet, so happy Advent and I hope that, despite the Church not
being open due to, you know what, you are able to enjoy the wonderful prayers and scripture readings
of Advent. The following, from St. Irenaeus, I found wonderful and has elicited from me, a meditation.
So, bear with me and read on.
From the treatise "Against the Heresies" by St Irenaeus, ca. 202: There is one God, who by
the word and wisdom created and arranged all things. But God’s (all bold is my emphasis) Word (note
the capitalization) is our Lord Jesus Christ, who in these last times was made a man among men, …
the prophets, receiving the gift of prophecy from this same Word, foretold his coming in
the flesh …
I find this most encouraging and love it when I discover its truth as I reflect on the Sacred Scriptures.
E.g., 1200 years before Christ, Balaam, son of Beor, said: “I see him, but not now; I behold him,
but not near-a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.” Num. 24
I remember vividly the day I discovered the truth of the Word made flesh, born in time, yet always
was … I was reflecting on the Scripture of the day, I don’t recall what scripture I was reading,
all I recall is, the discovery of the Word (Jesus) in the OT and dropping to my knees and saying over
and over, “it’s you, Lord, it’s you.” (Begotten not made, God from God, Light from Light, true God
from True God, … Nicene Creed)
St. Irenaeus lived in the second century and had to deal with the Gnostics, i.e., those who denied the
good of the flesh and that Christ was truly in the flesh and therefore denied that God, the Word made flesh, was God. Thankfully, Irenaeus put an end to Gnosticism as a force in the Church; sadly, it has reared its ugly head and is alive and well in many practices in our day. Perhaps the following is more a revival of Arianism, a 4th c. heresy but has its roots in Gnosticism. E.g., it is fashionable today to deny the divinity of Christ, to reduce Him to a prophet, a nice man, a good storyteller!Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who was a disciple of John, the beloved
disciple. A child, listening to a bishop explain that he comes from a line of bishops that goes back to
the twelve apostles said: “So you were made a bishop by a bishop, by a bishop, by a bishop who
knew Jesus?” Irenaeus “knew” Jesus, not in the flesh as John did, but was privy to a firsthand account
from Polycarp who knew and saw John. St. John would say: “That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and
touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-the life was made manifest, and we
saw it …” 1 John 1
Pardon me please with this scriptural greeting, just sharing with you what is in my heart.
Blessed Advent everyone and when Christmas comes, Merry Christmas to you!
Fr. Terry -
A Message from our Bishop, Dec 16, 2020:
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
Today marks the beginning of the last week of Advent. This season prepares us to celebrate the Lord’s first coming and reminds us that “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end” (Nicene Creed).
This year we have special reason to long for the Lord’s appearing. 2020 has been a year most of us will be glad to see pass into history. What began as usual in January as a time of planning and hop-ing for the coming year quickly changed because of the Covid-19 virus.
We have lost on all levels: the deaths of many people have been attributed to the virus, including members of my own extended family. All of us have suffered other effects: physical, psychological, educational, economic and social.
The most serious loss is the disruption of our faith lives. Government-imposed prohibitions on gather-ings have taken away the sacramental life from most people. This sense of loss is compounded by apparent inconsistencies in the application of public health directives. Bars and restaurants remain open, while assembling for Mass has been prohibited, despite the fact that parishes have diligently followed the protocols to ensure safe environments.
A recent newspaper editorial summed up the issue: “the underlying concern here is that our public health authorities have elevated secular interests above religious interests of seemingly equal im-portance. Indeed the latter, if anything, enjoy a higher constitutional standing. Freedom of religion is the first of four fundamental freedoms enumerated in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The right to worship is protected” (Victoria Times Colonist, December 5, 2020).
In the face of the problems this virus has caused, the Advent season reminds us of the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). The witness we can give to each other and to the world is the Christian charac-ter of our response to the stresses caused by this crisis.
My thanks go to the priests, who continue to serve their people in extraordinary circumstances, to parishioners who help clean our buildings, assist with livestreaming liturgies on Sunday and connect with isolated parishioners via telephone calls. Thanks to the staffs in our Catholic schools for their creative efforts to meet the needs of students and families.
The appearance of new vaccines gives us hope that the acute phase of the pandemic may soon pass. The diocesan website (www.pgdiocese.bc.ca) and Facebook page (“Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George”) are continually updated with information to help you properly inform your conscience about which vaccines are morally acceptable.
As we look forward to a new year, I offer you my prayerful best wishes that God’s gifts of charity, peace and hope will fill us as we support one another in dealing with the extraordinary challenges this year has brought.
A blessed Christmas season and New Year!
Bishop Stephen Jensen
