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Where is your brother? CCCB appeal...

8/26/2014

"It is Jesus who is being persecuted, who is homeless, who is hungry, who is in prison, who is being tortured."

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)

Click the following links to view the full statement and appeal: English Version and French Version.

The Executive Committee of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issued an appeal “for mercy, compassion and justice in the Middle East and throughout the world”.

In its message, the Executive states: “As followers of the Crucified One, we recognize particularly in the Middle East the sufferings of our own brothers and sisters in faith. Moved by their pains and afflictions, we make their cause our own. We are united with them in solidarity and faith. Our unceasing prayer and hope are rooted in the love and forgiveness by which Our Lord transforms the human heart.”

The appeal is addressed “to all people – of every faith and in the name of good will, here in Canada and around the world – to do even more to assist the suffering of those in need.”

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Eradicate Hunger

8/21/2014

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At a meeting in Jakarta in June, the International Committee of the JPIC Animators of the OFM identified the eradication of hunger as a main focus area of concern, along with lifestyle & mining.

The Development and Peace Fall 2014 Education and Action Campaign (part of the Caritas Internationalis’ 12-18 Oct 2014 campaign) addresses these topics in a user friendly and simple way with downloadable materials ready made for easy use. The D&P campaign addresses several key issues e.g. poverty, hunger, food production by small farmers, control of seeds, the environment etc. These are intertwined and are of great concern to Franciscans.

Andrew Conradi highly recommends ordering the excellent free materials for your friary, parish or fraternity. They include a video, poster, stickers, organizers guide, action sheet, backgrounder, magazine, theological reflection & prayer card. In addition you can also order a backgrounder and theological reflection on Ecological Justice. It is the theological reflections that set D&P apart from just any NGO/CSO.

As Franciscans we use the see, judge, act method and so does this campaign. One suggested advocacy action is a petition to the Government.

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What can we do to help?

8/14/2014

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We can:

Provide Emergency Assistance
Support Moderate Muslims
Write to our local media to highlight what the moderates are saying
Challenge local Muslims to promote the Islamic principles that call for “justice, kindness, fairness, freedom of faith and coexistence."

St. Francis crossed military lines and found a friend in the Sultan - a lesson for our times. How can we follow in his footsteps?

In response to needs for emergency assistance and reconstruction in the Middle East, three Canadian Catholic agencies are collecting funds for the suffering people of Iraq, Gaza and Syria: the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP), CNEWA Canada, and Aid to the Church in Need. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and Canadian dioceses are encouraging Catholics to support the three agencies in their work. Read more.

The Pontifical Council speaks out against terror in name of religion. Haaretz picked up on this and wrote:
“The Vatican's call came as Egypt's top religious authority, Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam, condemned Islamic State as a corrupt, extremist organisation that is damaging Islam.”

Iyad Ameen Madani, secretary general of The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the actions in Mosul and Nineveh. He said the ISIS "forced displacement is a crime that cannot be tolerated; and that the practices of ISIS have nothing to do with Islam and its principles that call for justice, kindness, fairness, freedom of faith and coexistence."

Who are the moderate Muslims? Where are they and how can we support and encourage them to speak out?

To start, you could read Raheel Raza, a Sunni Muslim married to a Shia Muslim. She is the author of Their Jihad, Not My Jihad: a Muslim Canadian woman speaks out. She also wrote How Many Moderate Muslims Does it Take to Give a Message?

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Letter to Pope on GM seeds...

8/14/2014

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At the request of major peasant organizations, and with the permission of Pope Francis, a group of scientists and agricultural experts have now made public a letter and document on the problem of genetically modified seeds that was sent to the Vatican April 30. Signed by eight experts from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, India and Canada, the letter and accompanying document , entitled "Why Genetically Modified Crops Pose a Threat to Peasants, Food Sovereignty, Health, and Biodiversity on the Planet" call upon His Holiness to speak out against the negative impacts of GM seeds on the world’s peasants and global food security.

The document questions the scientific basis of GM technology, its failure to increase yields, the exponential increase in pesticide use, the dangers of transgenic contamination of peasant crops, the threat to human health and the concern that GM seeds are patented and monopolized by a handful of transnational corporations. Read more...

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Where is your brother? CCCB appeal...

Eradicate Hunger

What can we do to help?

Letter to Pope on GM seeds...

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