Leftwinger using Catholic Church pulpit to attack Harper

[Bill Whatcott]

Notwithstanding the fact our military has said our fighter jets are grossly obsolete (going on 30 years old), and feminist, gay rights, other far left lobby groups, etc.... shouldn't get taxpayer funds for their pet causes; If a conservative lobbyist used a church pulpit like this during an election there would be hell to pay. How does the left go to sleep at night behaving like this?
Bill Whatcott

Conservative Harper attacked right from pulpit of Catholic Church today
Judi McLeod Monday,
April 4, 2011
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/35115

Talking Peace and Social Justice, the far left Development and Peace representing other leftist groups came to Catholic Church in Canada today, elbowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ aside for a full-tilt campaign speech for the Coalition Opposition.

In the last message heard before the final blessing was given, parishioners were told to “get on their computers” to spread the word that the Conservative Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is forcing Canada into the European Union.

The exact words of Susan at St. Gabriel’s Roman Catholic Church, Burlington, Ontario, who plugged the website of the Council of Canadians among others: “The Harper Conservatives are planning our country’s entrance into the European Union. Did you know this?” (go to the 1:04 mark on CFP YouTube).

The message was delivered at St. Gabe’s 8 a.m. Mass and repeated at the 11 a.m. Mass.

The captive audience at Sunday service, who had already contributed to a collection that went to Development and Peace, experienced something of a Charlie Sheen in Detroit moment. “I already got your money, dude,” he shouted to departing audience members who walked out on his show.

Nor did the political message stop there. “We need to have better health care, a stronger economy and jobs. We need to protect our freedoms here and now,”
Susan said.

A stony silence followed the 8 a.m. message. A smattering of applause followed the delivery at the later Mass where CFP videotaped the campaign speech.

Interesting to note that at the same time Susan’s 11 a.m. message was being delivered, Canadian Liberal Party Leader Michael Ignatieff (media dubbed “Iggy”) was launching his Barack Obama style campaign electronically via LiveFeed.

In both addresses at St. Gabriel’s, parishioners were invited to write Steve Harper’s “friend” Burlington MP Mike Wallace. “Please write to him and if you do not have a computer, visit him when you’re on the second floor of the Burlington Mall.”

Development and Peace and the Council of Canadians are Canadian both non-profit organizations.

Development and Peace is the official international development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis. Development and Peace is a membership led organization supported by parish collections, individual donations and government grants, principally from the Canadian International Development Agency.

Our vision: Committed to change

Our mission: Support partners in the Global South who promote alternatives to unfair social, political and economic structures. It educates the Canadian population about the causes of poverty and mobilizes Canadians towards actions for change. In the struggle for human dignity, the organization forms alliances with northern and southern groups working for social change. It also supports women in their search for social and economic justice.


The Council of Canadians is a member of the Canadian Peace Alliance, touted as “Canada’s largest umbrella peace organization.

It is chaired by activist Maude Barlow, board chair of the Washington-based Food & Water Watch and executive member of the San Francisco-based International Forum on Globalization and a Councillor with the Hamburg-based World Future Council. In 2008/2009, she served as Senior Advisor on Water to the 63rd President of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Council of Canadians supports the War Resisters’ Support Campaign, which is a broad based coalition of community, faith, labour and other organizations and individuals that have come together to support U.S. soldiers seeking asylum in Canada because they refuse to fight in “the illegal war in Iraq”.

Both organizations are creatures of the United Nations. Development and Peace, through CIDA, the Maurice Strong founded Canadian International Development Agency. The Council of Canadians “which seeks to establish a Department of Peace in Canada to change the dynamic of debate and decision making in cabinet and parliament towards a culture of peace and non-violence at home and abroad,” is described on its campaign page as being “in concert with the UN”.

Canadian non-profit organizations like Development and Peace and Council of Canadians are curtailed by Canada’s rules for non profits from participating in overt political activities.

From The Canadian Government Website:

Political purposes
Organizations with political purposes will not qualify for registration.

The courts have determined political purposes to be those that seek to:

* further the interests of a particular political party; or support a political party or candidate for public office; or
* retain, oppose, or change the law, policy, or decision of any level of government in Canada or a foreign country.

In addition, a registered charity cannot engage in any partisan political activity (i.e., one that involves direct or indirect support of, or opposition to, any political party or candidate for public office).

However, a registered charity can engage, to a limited extent, in non-partisan political activities which help accomplish the charity’s purpose.

For more information and examples, see Policy Statement CPS-022, Political Activities.

Entering a Catholic church and campaigning for a political party is certainly partisan political activity and both organizations should have their charitable status pulled.

Most parishioners do not expect to hear speeches for political parties during election campaigns at their local church Sunday services.

The age-old hymn What A Friend We Have in Jesus could have easily been replaced today by What a Friend Iggy has in the Canadian far left.

Meanwhile, during election saving your immortal soul via the pulpit is being trumped by “Peace, Brother, Peace.”

-Update: From Lifesitenews


Author
Judi McLeod

Copyright © Canada Free Press

Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared on Rush Limbaugh, Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, and Glenn Beck.

Judi can be emailed at: judi@canadafreepress.com

Older articles by Judi McLeod

[Bill Whatcott]

D&P parish rep slams Harper Conservatives during appeal at Mass
by Patrick B. Craine
Mon Apr 04, 2011 19:06 EST
http://www.lifesitenews.com/?/blog/dp-p ... al-at-mass

A Burlington, Ontario parish representative for Development & Peace slammed Canada’s Conservative government while soliciting donations from the ambo at her parish on Sunday.

“It’s time we take a good look at the kind of government we want,” said the St. Gabriel’s parishioner, in a video released by Canada Free Press. “The Harper Conservatives are planning our country’s entrance into the European Union. Did you know this?”

“Funding for many citizens groups has been cut under the guise of waste, yet we are asked to support the purchase of new fighter jets at a cost of $27 billion,” she added.

Fr. Alphonse de Valk, editor of Canada’s Catholic Insight magazine, said the comments were “inappropriate,” especially considering that Canada is “in the midst of an election.” “Once again it demonstrates that D&P is constantly in politics,” he said.

In a statement, parish priest Fr. Aleksander Mazur emphasized that the comments were “not the position of St. Gabriel Church,” and that he will address the issue with the “entire congregation” this coming Sunday. While he usually vets the woman’s talk, it didn’t happen this time, he noted. “It was an oversight on the part of the parish that it was not reviewed in advance.”

D&P, founded by the Canadian bishops, has been embroiled in scandal within the Catholic Church over the last two years after revelations they were involved in funding at least two dozen groups advocating abortion. The D&P rep’s talk came on the heels of a groundbreaking statement from Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa on Friday, in which he became the first Canadian bishop to publicly acknowledge that one of D&P’s partners is in conflict with the right to life.

After personally meeting with Father Luis Arriaga, director of the Miguel Pro Centre for Human Rights (PRODH), the prelate abruptly cancelled the priest’s speaking engagements in his diocese.

“I know our organization uses the money wisely,” said the D&P rep at St. Gabriel’s. She also urged parishioners to write or visit their Member of Parliament, Conservative Mike Wallace.

When I called the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, they directed questions to Development & Peace. However, D&P executive director Michael Casey did not respond to my request for comment.

Gwen Landolt, national vice-president of REAL Women, said she thought the partisan comments were “shocking.” She emphasized that while the Church can deal with issues of concern during the election, it never takes a partisan position.

“Is Development and Peace to be partisan?” she asked. “I mean they’ve had tremendous funding from CIDA. Who are they to object?”