| Motion an opportunity to evaluate anti-bullying strategies |
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TORONTO, May 22, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League today commented on the motion of Toronto Catholic School Trustee Gary Tanuan to address a response to anti-bullying strategies in Toronto’s Catholic schools and use the Ontario Bishops’ and Catholic trustees’ document “Respecting Difference” as the framework for all anti-bullying clubs and activities. Ontario’s Bill 13, passed last June after considerable controversy, requires all schools to  |
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| Father de Valk winner of CCRL award |
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TORONTO, ON May 17, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League is pleased to announce that it has chosen pro-life activist, writer and editor Father Alphonse de Valk, CSB, as winner of this year’s Archbishop Adam Exner Award for Catholic Excellence in Public Life. The award will be presented at the League’s annual dinner in Toronto May 30, which will feature a keynote address by Stephen Woodworth, MP, proponent of parliamentary Private Members’ Motion 312, which called for |
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| League to intervene in SCC appeal in prostitution case |
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| OTTAWA, ON May 1, 2013 - The Catholic Civil Rights League is pleased to announce that its application to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) appeal of the Ontario court decision legalizing keeping a common bawdy house and communicating for the purpose of engaging in prostitution has been accepted. The League will fill a factum jointly with our colleague organizations Christian Legal Fellowship (CLF) and REAL Women of Canada, with which we intervened in the first two levels of the case |
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| League annual dinner to take place May 30 |
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| TORONTO, ON April 19, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League is pleased to announce that its annual dinner will take place May 30 at Spirale Banquet and Conference Centre in Toronto. The evening will include a keynote address by Stephen Woodworth, MP Kitchener-Centre, and the presentation of the Archbishop Exner Award for Catholic Excellence in Public Life. Mr. Woodworth was the author of Motion 312, which sought a parliamentary inquiry into updating Criminal Code provisions regarding whe |
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| League supports March for Life |
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| OTTAWA, ON April 12, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights is proud to announce its continued support for the national March for Life, to take place in Ottawa May 9 with representation from across the country. As in previous years, the League is encouraging its members to attend, and is also providing a financial donation and advertising support.“The Right to life is fundamental to all the civil rights issues that the League addresses through its work,” said League Executive Directo |
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| CCRL regrets Motion 403 deemed unvotable |
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| OTTAWA, ON March 22, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League regrets that Motion 408 has been deemed unvotable and therefore will not be brought forward in the House of Commons. On September 27, 2012, Member of Parliament Mark Warawa (PC - Langley) introduced Motion M-408. It reads simply, "That the House condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex-selective pregnancy termination." Many League members and others expressed their support for the motion in correspondence with |
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| “Gender identity” bill passes in House of Commons |
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| OTTAWA, ON March 21, 2013 – Bill C-279, which would add “gender identity” to the Canadian Human Rights Act as a prohibited ground for discrimination, passed its third and final reading in the House of Commons March 20 by a vote of 149-137. The League opposed this change, noting that it adds a somewhat vague and subjective category to what has traditionally been an objective list of characteristics. To add a category that is essentially self-defined could put employers and |
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| League President to attend papal inauguration ceremonies |
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| TORONTO, ON March 18, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League is pleased to announce that its President Philip Horgan is part of the Canadian delegation to visit the Holy See for the inauguration of Pope Francis. Led by Governor General David Johnston, the delegation left Sunday and will return Wednesday, attending key events of the inauguration including the installation Mass Tuesday March 19. “I’m humbled and honoured to be invited to take part in this historic event as |
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| CCRL welcomes Pope Francis 1 |
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| TORONTO ON March 14, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League congratulates Pope Francis I on his election to the papacy, and pledges its prayerful support. “Pope Francis’ strong commitment to the poor, to simple living and to evangelization recall both the charisms of St. Francis of Assisi, and the Jesuit missionary St. Francis Xavier. These commitments will serve the Church well at this stage in our history,” said League President Philip Horgan. “Pope F |
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| CCRL comments on Whatcott decision |
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| OTTAWA, February 27, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League provides comments on today's Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decision in the free speech case between William Whatcott and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. The court allowed the Commission's appeal in part, and restored two of four fines against Mr. Whatcott, plus awarded costs to the Commission. The Court held that a minor revision to the law, by a deletion of eight words, would allow the underlying statute to |
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| League welcomes religious freedom office |
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| TORONTO ON February 20, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League welcomes the establishment of Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom and hopes it will play a role in extending respect for religious and conscientious freedom throughout the world.“We hope that the new Office for Religious Freedom may prove to be a beacon of Canada's high regard for religious and conscientious freedom, and that it will prove to be a source of dialogue, mutual understanding, and peace,” said Le |
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| CCRL comments on Pope’s resignation |
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TORONTO, ON February 11, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League thanks Pope Benedict XVI for his devoted leadership of the Church as priest for 62 years, Archbishop, Cardinal and Pope of the universal Church for last seven and one half years, and wishes him every blessing in the future.
“Today’s announcement that His Holiness will resign for health reasons comes as a surprise, but the discernment, charity and leadership shown by the decision certainly does not,&# |
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| Loyola High School applies to SCC to appeal ERC decision |
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| MONTREAL, QC February 8, 2013 (CCRL) - Loyola High School of Montreal has announced that it will apply to the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal the decision of the Quebec Court of Appeal that required it to offer the province’s Ethics and Religious Culture course without modification to meet the school’s goals as a Catholic institution. Because this case raises questions that are pivotal to Catholic education as well as to religious freedom, the League plans to apply to intervene if |
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| News story corrected; MPs seek police probe of live birth abortions |
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| OTTAWA, ON February 1, 2013 - Three MPs, Maurice Vellacott, Leon Benoit and Wladyslaw Lizon, have asked the RCMP to investigate a number of late-term abortions that resulted in live births, following which the aborted child died. While this story has been available on blogs for several months, the letter and related discussion in the House of Commons began to be reported January 31. Unfortunately, Canadian Press, the news service on which most Canadian newspapers and broadcast outlets rely on fo |
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| Reject Quebec call for legalized euthanasia, says CCRL |
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| MONTREAL, QC January 16, 2013 – The Catholic Civil Rights League today expressed its opposition to the Quebec government’s plan to introduce legislation permitting euthanasia in specified, limited circumstances. A "select" panel of three lawyers has recommended the change in cases where a patient is close to death and unable to endure the physical or psychological pain, and makes the request clearly in writing. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in Canada under the Criminal |
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