The Latest News, Editorials, and Events
The CCRL Deplores MP’s Anti-Catholic Comment
The Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) is disappointed to learn of a cheap anti-Catholic comment made recently by Liberal Party MP Adam Vaughan (Spadina – Fort York) via Twitter. The implications of the tweet, subsequently deleted, that the Church is engaged in an ongoing cover-up of sex offenders, and that the Church evades the terrible abuse of these scandals, remain troubling cheap shots, and are unacceptable.
Father Anthony Van Hee, S.J. Constitutional Challenge Reaches the Stage of Cross-examinations – Support Needed for Defence Fund
Fr. Tony has engaged in a regular prayerful protest to oppose abortion and in support of life, on Parliament Hill, which he commenced in September of 1989. He has kept his faithful vigil for over 30 years. Fr. Tony was arrested on October 24, 2018 for silently protesting within 50 metres of the Morgentaler abortion clinic in Ottawa. Father Van Hee cannot face this challenge alone. Supporters can assist with his legal defence by donating to the Catholic Civil Rights League, specifically to the Fr. Tony Van Hee Defence Fund.
The CCRL Intervenes in a Supreme Court case on the Preservation of Religious Freedom
The CCRL argued that civil society requires a healthy respect for religious freedom, and that ecclesiastical decisions of religious communities cannot be the subject of state intervention. Decisions on liturgy, ministry, sacraments, or discipline should not be the subject of court oversight, given our constitutional matrix.
The League Asks Supporters and Friends to Contact their MPs in Opposition to Bill C-7 and the Expansion of Euthanasia
The current bill moves us from what the CCRL deemed to be a national climate of “suicide relativism”, which is a half-hearted opposition to suicide in general, but sanctioned allowance when requested through the medical system. Canada has now moved to a regime of full “suicide facilitation”, with further expansion expected.
The CCRL Announces the Founding of a Database of Attacks Against Catholic Churches in Canada
Two attacks against Catholic churches in Canada this month follow four other attacks since May 2020, including the damaging of eight statues at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Sudbury and vandalism to statues at St. Patrick’s Parish in Markham, ON, Sacred Heart Church in Calgary, and the Basilica of Our Lady in Guelph, ON.
The League Mourns the Death of Exner Recipient Dr. Robert Walley founder of MaterCare International
Dr. Walley will be laid to rest in St. John’s, NL tomorrow. Through his work in Africa’s developing nations, Dr. Walley has saved the lives of thousands of mothers and their babies from the tragic implications of obstetric fistula, an avoidable condition exacerbated in Africa by the lack of quality maternal healthcare present in developed nations.
Letter Opposing Covid-19 Vaccine Development Using Abortion Derived Cell Lines Cited in Science Magazine Article
On May 21, 2020 the executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) Christian Elia cosigned a letter which was sent to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, calling for funding for Covid-19 vaccine research that is ethically acceptable to the millions of Canadians who vehemently oppose the use of abortion derived cell lines.
The letter was cited in the Science magazine article “Vaccines that use human fetal cells draw fire” authored by Meredith Wadman.
CCRL Cosignatory on Letter to Prime Minister Voicing Opposition to Covid-19 Vaccines from Abortion Derived Cell Lines
The executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) Christian Elia cosigned a letter sent yesterday to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, calling for funding for Covid-19 vaccine research that is ethically acceptable to the millions of Canadians who vehemently oppose the use of abortion derived cell lines.
Prayer Request for CCRL Exner Award Recipient Dr. Robert Walley
The Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) asks our supporters and friends to fulfill the request of Dr. Robert Walley for prayers for a good and peaceful death following the news from MaterCare International regarding his diagnosis of terminal cancer.
The League Mourns the Death of Co-founder and Former Exner Award Recipient Fr. Alphonse de Valk
Fr. de Valk was a passionate defender of life, and of free speech, and stood for a robust understanding of freedom of conscience and religion. Fr. de Valk was born on Easter Sunday, 1932. He died during the Easter Octave, and just prior to Divine Mercy Sunday. His witness to the Gospel of Life was always centred on his relationship with Jesus Christ, in his case, through the priesthood. May he be richly rewarded with the promises of the same Christ, our Lord.
Looking to support the work of the Catholic Civil Rights League?
We are Canada’s only lay organization devoted exclusively to combating anti-Catholic defamation and to bringing Church teaching to bear on issues of public debate.