Cardinal Collins Justin Trudeau

CARDINAL COLLINS' LETTER TO JUSTIN TRUDEAU

Mr. Justin Trudeau,
M P Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
House of Commons, Ottawa
May 1 4 , 2014

Dear Mr. Trudeau,

I am deeply concerned about your decision that citizens who, in conscience, seek to assure the protection of the most vulnerable among us are not acceptable as candidates in your party.

Just last week Pope Francis sent a message of support for thousands of your fellow citizens who gathered on Parliament Hill to peacefully affirm the right to life, and the need to protect the vulnerable. He assured them of his spiritual closeness “as they give witness to the God - given dignity, beauty, and value of human life.” It is worth noting that if Pope Francis, as a young man, instead of seeking to serve in the priesthood in Argentina, had moved to Canada and sought to serve in the noble vocation of politics, he would have been ineligible to be a candidate for your party, if your policy were in effect.

Among the 2 million Catholics of my archdiocese, there are members of all political parties, including your own. I encourage all of them, of whatever party, to serve the community not only by voting but by active engagement in political life as candidates. It is not right that they be excluded by any party for being faithful to their conscience.

Political leaders surely have the right to insist on party unity and discipline in political matters which are within the legitimate scope of their authority. But that political authority is not limitless: it does not extend to matters of conscience and religious faith. It does not govern all aspects of life. The patron saint of politicians is Saint Thomas More.

He came into conflict with the political authority of his day on a matter of conscience. The king claimed control over his conscience, but Thomas was “the king’s good servant, but God’s first. ” Political leaders in our day should not exclude such people of integrity, no matter how challenging they find their view s. I urge you to reconsider your position.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas Cardinal Collins Archbishop of Toronto

JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S RESPONSE TO CARDINAL COLLINS’ LETTER

“I had an extraordinary example in a father who had deeply, deeply held personal views that were informed by the fact that he went to church every Sunday, read the Bible regularly to us, and raised us very, very religious, very Catholic,” said Mr. Trudeau.

“But at the same time he had no problem legalizing divorce, decriminalizing homosexuality and moving in ways that recognized the basic rights of the people.

“He held his personal views very, very strongly. But he understood that as leaders, as political figures, as representatives of a larger community, our utmost responsibility is to stand up for peoples’ rights.”

Mr. Trudeau said Liberals are “allowed and even encouraged” to have personal views, but the party “needs to make sure that with its votes we do not accept that a government could legislate away a woman’s fundamental rights.” (Source)

IS THE CHURCH AGAINST STANDING UP FOR PEOPLES’ RIGHTS AS JUSTIN IS IMPLYING?

Justin Trudeau believes that the Catholic Church is not standing up for “peoples’ rights”… THIS IS WRONG.

The Church defines a person as having rights from the moment of conception. Most people like Justin believe that a human person gets human rights at birth. According to Canadian Law, a child in the womb at 8 months, 7 months, or 4 months, has no rights. This is why not having an abortion law allows abortion at any point in the pregnancy. Canada is the only First World Nation that does not have a law in the books limiting abortion to a certain point in the pregnancy.

WHY SHOULD THE CHILD IN THE WOMB HAVE RIGHTS?

The soul is given to a human being at conception. While the body may have to grow for nine months, the soul is created by God fully developed. Most people like Justin ignore the fact that it is the soul that gives the person the ultimate human right.

CAN A PERSON LIKE JUSTIN CALL ONESELF A CATHOLIC AND BELIEVE IN ABORTION AS A WOMAN’S FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT?

Justin is confused about what it means to be a Catholic. Life is the ultimate gift of God and a member of the Catholic Church must believe that that gift begins at conception with the creation of the soul by God. No one has a right to choose to put an innocent human being to death.

IS THIS CATHOLIC BELIEF ABOUT ABORTION NOT SUBJECT TO ‘PERSONAL VIEWS’?

                  For one who was raised to be “very, very religious, very Catholic”, the declaration of St. Pope John Paul II must be obeyed, notwithstanding one’s personal views. Pope John Paul II said, “By the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, in communion with the Bishops who have shown unanimous agreement concerning this doctrine-I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written Word of God, is transmitted by the Church's Tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium. No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the Law of God which is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church.” (The Gospel of Life, 62)

CHURCH AND STATE MUST BE SEPARATED. AREN'T THE BISHOPS INTERFERING IN POLITICS?

Bishops have every right and duty to be involved in public policy, which is a different thing altogether from politics, both because they are bishops and because they are Canadian citizens.

All citizens should express themselves on the moral dimensions of public policy issues. Those citizens who are generally perceived as "moral leaders," such as the bishops, have a special obligation to do so. People expect bishops to denounce unjust war and aggression, to plead for the homeless, to denounce drug traffic, racism and so on. Bishops are criticized if they remain silent about such issues. Why are bishops criticized only when the public policy question involves abortion?

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Source:

PDF Version of the Cardinal Letter

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