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ARCHBISHOP OF OTTAWA AGREES LIBERAL CATHOLICISM IS FINISHED

Homily given to faculty at Ottawa's St. Paul University, one of Canada's most liberal

OTTAWA, September 26, 2002 (LSN.ca) - In what some are calling a miracle of World Youth Day, Catholic bishops in Canada seem to have been bolstered in their courage by the huge manifestation of joy and geniune faith by the youth at the July/Aug 6-day event with the pope.

The bishop of Calgary recently completely backed his priest who refused a church wedding for a Planned Parenthood worker. The Cardinal Archbishop of Toronto declined to attend the Red Mass dinner featuring a pro-abortion speaker but used his homily at the Red Mass dinner to deliver a strong pro-life message. Now, the Archbishop of Ottawa has told the faculty at one of Canada's most liberal Catholic universities that liberal Catholicism is finished.

During the mass to open the school year at St. Paul's University, Archbishop Marcel Gervais said in his homily that "Liberal Catholicism is an exhausted project." The archbishop outlined the history of many Catholic families in Canada turning from faith-rich but materially impoverished to materially-rich but faith impoverished over the past 55 years.

Noting some examples of the deplorable lack of faith among youth the archbishop continued saying "Perhaps its not just the improvement in our material well-being that is one of the causes. Perhaps it is the liberalism that we all adopted. Perhaps Cardinal George [Chicago], an Oblate and a graduate of this institution, is right when he says, 'We are at a turning point in the life of the church in this century. Liberal Catholicism is an exhausted project. Essentially a critique, even a necessary critique at one point in our history, it is now parasitical on a substance that no longer exists. It has shown itself unable to pass on the faith in its integrity and is inadequate, therefore, in fostering the joyful self-surrender called for in Christian marriage, in consecrated life, in ordained priesthood.'"

While not mentioning World Youth Day by name, Archbishop Gervais indicated as much as he said, "things are changing. I see among our youth some very encouraging signs. They are numerous enough to give me hope that things are going to get better."

Pope John Paul has responded to the scandals in the U.S. Church by emphasizing that it is above all the irresponsibility of bishops in dealing with dissent, especially against moral teachings, that has caused serious moral scandals within the church and negatively affected the general social community of all faiths.

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