Statement from Cardinal Ambrozic
Dec 17, 2006
St. Michael’s Cathedral, Dec. 17, 2006
I wish to say a few words about the announcement that has come from the Holy Father, accepting my resignation and appointing Archbishop Thomas Collins from Edmonton as the new Archbishop of Toronto.
I have been privileged and truly blessed to have served as a bishop for 30 years and as Archbishop of Toronto for 16 years. In this time, I have come across many wonderful and faithful Catholics who have given of themselves for the love of the Church. I have always been grateful to serve in an Archdiocese so rich in diversity – it is one of our greatest gifts and as someone who came to this country from overseas, I have grown to appreciate the uniqueness of each parish, each community, each ethnic group.
On a day like today, I must give thanks to those around me, who have faithfully served the diocese and supported me in my ministry. From the Auxiliary Bishops who have assisted over the years to our many clergy who lead our parishes. May we continue to be blessed with vocations, called by God to serve the church faithfully, loyally, humbly.
To those lay people who continue to be the hands of Christ among us, I give thanks for all that you do, working tirelessly to serve in the many ministries and movements. May you always find joy in serving the Lord. To all those who have supported me during my time in the Archdiocese of Toronto, be assured that you will remain close to my heart and in my prayers.
I am most pleased to see that the Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Collins to lead the Archdiocese of Toronto. I have no doubt that he will be a responsible steward of the diocese, a faithful shepherd who will guide his flock for many years to come. His experience in western Canada will serve us well as he has provided balanced pastoral leadership to that region of the country. He is a wise man, he is a man of faith and a man who will look to the Holy Spirit for guidance and counsel.
Finally, I give thanks to God for entrusting me, your humble servant, as Archbishop of Toronto. The greatest reward one can experience in one’s life is to serve Jesus. For this, I will be eternally grateful.
Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic
December 17, 2006
***This statement was read at the 12 Noon Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Dec. 17, 2006.***
Toronto's cardinal retires
Dec 16, 2006
Collins, 59, will be installed in January
(Toronto Star, Dec. 16, 2006) The Archdiocese of Toronto’s 1.6 million Catholics have a new spiritual leader following the appointment of Monsignor Thomas Collins as the new archbishop of Toronto.
Collins, 59, who was born in Guelph, and is currently the archbishop of Edmonton, replaces the retiring, and often controversial, Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic, who is 76.
Ambrozic tendered his resignation almost two years ago, as is standard practice when a bishop turns 75, but was asked by the Vatican to stay on until his replacement could be found.
Collins, who has been archbishop of Edmonton since 1999, since takes on the job at Canada’s largest and richest diocese in late January.
“I am deeply honoured by the confidence the Holy Father has placed in me, calling me to lead the Archdiocese of Toronto, one of the most diverse dioceses in the world,” Collins said in a prepared statement.
He will be officially installed as the new archbishop of Toronto sometime in January.
Collins did theological and other religious study in London and Rome, including at the prestigious Gregorian Pontifical University. He was ordained a priest in 1973 for the diocese of Hamilton, and went on to serve in various posts, including rector of St. Peter Seminary in London.
In 1997, he was consecrated a bishop, transferring to Edmonton in 1999.
Collins replaces Ambrozic, whose devout Catholic upbringing in his native Slovenia and experiences during the Second World War fashioned his views and guided his tenure as Toronto’s archbishop for the past 16 years.
Church observers say Ambrozic is a very serious, humble, and intelligent man who avoided the limelight, and led by quiet example.
“He was a very real person. He wasn’t about photo-ops,” said Neil MacCarthy director of public relations for the Archdiocese of Toronto. “For him if he was going down to a soup kitchen, he would just do it without the fanfare.”
In a profile upon his appointment, Leslie Scrivener, the Star’s former faith and ethics reporter painted a picture of a man known for his intellectual powers, his affinity for Toronto’s refugees and immigrants, his defence of church teaching.
And known for speaking his mind, sometimes to his peril.
His views on church doctrine and his priorities, while they may be unsettling to progressive Canadian Catholics, were in sync with those of the Vatican.
In his years as archbishop, some of his directives have been viewed as tough-minded: banning women from giving sermons during mass at the University of Toronto’s Newman Centre; saying that birth control and pre-marital sex should not be discussed in Catholic schools; urging Catholics in pastoral letters to lobby against government proposals that would extend spousal benefits to homosexual couples.
Then there is his nature. Friends describe him variously as affable, life of the party, a genial host, a considerate boss interested in the welfare of his employees.
Others say he is blunt, brusque and uncomfortable out of a traditional Catholic world. "There is a perception he is vindictive. He is not flexible, but he is not vindictive," a Catholic academic once said of him.
Retired teacher Joanna Manning, who has spent her life advocating for the ordination of female priests in the Catholic church, said she has no illusions that the archdiocese will operate differently under the new archbishop.
“I don’t think you are going to see any difference, because they are all cut from the same conservative cloth, and they are all micromanaged from Rome,” Manning told The Star.
When Ambrozic was involved in revamping the religious education curriculum for separate schools, "initially, he had a chilling effect," Ted Schmidt, an award-winning Catholic teacher, said in 1998 when Ambrozic was made a Cardinal.
"He was like a bludgeon, but he’s learned a bishop doesn’t need to be that. He’s become more sensitive and understanding."
Some view Ambrozic as ill at ease with women.
But Janet Somerville, a highly regarded Catholic intellectual, sees his relationships this way: "He does not have a good track record dialoguing with women who have feminist ideas, as opposed to women who deliver effective day-to-day leadership and handle huge loads. It’s the ideological versus the practical."
“He is a very humble man, who always brought out the best in others,” MacCarthy said. “He likes to read and study history and I’m sure he’ll look forward to taking a well deserved rest.”
“I thank God for the privilege to serve as Archbishop and offer gratitude to the clergy and laity who have supported me during my time in the Archdiocese of Toronto,” Ambrozic said in a release from the Archdiocese.
A board will be appointed to govern church affairs until Collin is officially installed in early 2007, the Archdiocese of Toronto said yesterday.
Covering much of Central Ontario, the Archdiocese of Toronto is the largest and wealthiest in the country, comprised of 223 parishes and 1.6 million Catholics who celebrate mass in 30 different languages.
Religion and Gain
Nov 17, 2006
By Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic (November 2006).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Valueless values
I ask myself at times why I react so negatively to a word often used these days, the word "value". The reason for my negative reaction seems to lie in the fact that the talk of values strikes me as very neutral. The word admits that for someone else my value may be quite valueless. The term communicates, in fact, our acceptance that what we take as valuable may be quite meaningless in somebody else's eyes. In other words, I react negatively to the word simply because it contains a possibility of relativism and meaninglessness.
The trouble seems to be, then, that all discussion of values is senseless; while I admit something has value, somebody else may well see it as insignificant. There is the attitude that the dialogue takes place without any attempt to change anyone's mind. All discussion of values is useless. Any attempt to change anyone's mind is, in fact, unacceptable and even unecumenical.
The sovereign ego
It seems that the only value that is universal in our society is that of the glorified ego. The notion predominates that all our views must be measured by our sovereign likes and dislikes. This notion seems to be at the basis of our democratic conviction and practice; my ego is thought to be the only authority which counts. There is no truth and value apart from what I like or dislike. The difficulty is, however, that this sovereign ego is not a neutral value -- just because it is generally accepted. It is, clearly, a one-sided myth.
If we wish to have proof of the mythical quality of our sovereign ego, it lies in the fact that it is quickly becoming something else, that is to say, a productive ego, a unit of economic utility. It is this productive human being whose "value" is beginning to fray at both ends of the life spectrum. Our society has already accepted the principle of abortion, and there is a growing number of people defending euthanasia. Whatever the reasons proclaimed by them, children learning from this type of society will get rid of their old people as soon as they become economically unproductive.
Economic progress is thought to be productive of human dignity as well as democracy. Free trade, the sacred cow at whose hoofs we seem to worship, is the missionary capitalism of our world. The notion very much at home in some of our media and the programmes of some political parties, seems to be basic and unquestioned, though it can hardly be said to be neutral, that the well-fed, fully employed and economically secure individual will remain honest and democratic. However, this self-seeking and self-justifying individual, seeking his own economic advantage, will hardly proclaim the values of honesty and respect for others.
The point we must stress again and again is that our society is basing itself on an ideologically un-neutral notion of the sovereign individual. Much is being claimed for this sovereign individual: freedom, democracy, self-sufficiency of all sorts. But this individual, whatever may be claimed for it, is quickly becoming something else, i.e., economic and economically self-dependent. The notion, moreover, that this economically self-sufficient individual will reduce crime is pure nonsense.
Christianity and Democracy
Emanuel Kant, a late 18th century philosopher who described and defined the trend of thought in force since the 18th century, viz., the Enlightenment, felt that while all the intellectual proof for God's existence is invalid, God could be proven by the so-called categorical imperative, i.e., moral obligations by which we live and take for granted. There are two difficulties, which Kant himself did not experience, with his notion of categorical imperative. One is the fact that two millennia of Christian teaching were needed in order to make the categorical imperative obvious and taken for granted. Further, he did not realize that the categorical imperative would diminish in content quickly as the intellectual basis for it was taken away. What Kant would consider as obligatory, in other words, is not thought of as obligatory at all by our non-believing contemporaries. Before I feel that I must be honest, I must be convinced that there is a God who demands that honesty. God is greater and far more important than democracy and financial honesty. Should democracy become an end in itself, should we have no reason whatever apart from our "social" obligation to be honest and non-violent, self-controlled and tolerant, then we become victims of our own prejudices and predilections. The only way for democracy to survive is to accept the two great commandments which Jesus has given us, the love of God first, and the love of neighbour. It is only if we know that God is greater than us, that God is greater than anything else in the world, that we can then accept His commands, whether they serve us or not, whether they are useful to us or not, that we shall live in true freedom and democracy.
I end with a story from the Gospel of Luke. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus asked the Samaritans to accept him and his disciples; they refused because they were on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When "the disciples James and John saw it they said, 'Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?'" (9:54) Jesus' reaction is rather interesting. Instead of being merely indignant, he is said to have rebuked them. The word translated as "rebuke" is stronger; it means censure, colloquially, "blast". Jesus knows that he has brought peace to this world, and though we may at times feel like reacting strongly to unfair treatment, we simply have no right to do so, because we are asked to reflect God's peace and God's love. Jesus' reaction is acceptable to our current multicultural mood. But should multiculturalism ever cease to be politically correct, Jesus' word and attitude would remain obligatory for the Church and all her members.
Cardinal Warns Voters about Renegade Priest Running for Catholic School Board Trustee
Nov 14, 2006
Some of the voters in today's Toronto municipal elections were informed about one of the candidates for Catholic School Board Trustee from the pulpits of their churches on Sunday.
TORONTO, November 13, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, the Archbishop of Toronto sent a letter to all parishes in the zone where renegade priest Karl Clemens is running for election to the Toronto Catholic school board. The letter which was read at Sunday Masses at all parishes in Toronto's Ward 9 over the weekend reminded Catholics that "in order to run for an elective office, a priest must have the permission from the local Bishop."
Rev. Clemens caused a stir last year as the first Catholic priest to identify himself as "gay" on television. Clemens made his announcement saying, "I'm a Roman Catholic priest and I'm gay". (see coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05102402.html)
The letter from the Cardinal noted that Clemens was a priest who has had his right to say Mass in public removed. "Karl Clemens, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kingston residing in Toronto, whose right to function as a priest in public has been taken away, has presented himself as a candidate for the Toronto Catholic District School Board," said the letter signed by Cardinal Ambrozic.
"I wish to let you know that he has no permission to run for the Office of Trustee," concluded the letter.
And They Become One Flesh
Dec 13, 2005
I cannot help but be saddened and deeply ashamed to see some Catholic Members of Parliament crumble under the pretensions of spurious inclusivity (November 2005).
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
From the bottom of my heart I wish to thank you for your vocal and public witness to the true meaning of marriage. Priests preached the Catholic position in our parishes. Organizations such as the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Women’s League launched a writing campaign against the same sex marriage bill as soon as it was proposed. Catholic Lay Movements organized and participated in public demonstrations. Other Catholic groups published documents arguing for the true meaning of marriage. And thousands of Catholics individually voiced their own position to their Members of Parliament. I am very pleased with your courageous and public defense of the true and traditional meaning of marriage. I am very thankful to those Members of Parliament who put at risk their political present and future by defending the true nature of marriage. At the same time I cannot help but be saddened and deeply ashamed to see some Catholic Members of Parliament crumble under the pretensions of spurious inclusivity.
Today, new questions emerge for the Church. Where do we go and what are we to do now that the Government has mistakenly changed the legal meaning of Marriage? I wish to offer three points that the Church will take to safeguard the sanctity of marriage.
We continue to teach the true meaning of Marriage.
Marriage is the committed union of a man and a woman who are open to co-operation with God in the creation, nurturing and education of children. Marriage has been a central part of the vast variety of human cultures and societies over the millennia. Marriage has united men and women long before the existence of states and governments. It will continue to do so when the states of today have themselves passed into history.
For Catholics, marriage is a sacrament, a living out of God’s grace for a lifetime. The vision of marriage given to us by God in Christ is not some misty ideal; it is in the heart of our faith. The Bible and the Church have always taught us that marriage is meant to be a loving, life-giving and faithful relationship between a man and a woman.
In recent years, there have been calls for the public acceptance of actions and lifestyles which the Church cannot condone. One of them is homosexual activity. Let us be clear on the distinction between person and behaviour. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches clearly that homosexual acts, being intrinsically disordered, can never be approved. It affirms at the same time the love of God for every person. Each one must be treated with sensitivity, compassion and justice. “Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection” (Catechism, 2359).
The Church continues, and will always continue, to teach and to celebrate marriage as the union of a man and a woman, as a lifelong commitment for the mutual love of the spouses and open to the creation and rearing of children. This is our duty as well as our right in accord with our freedom of religion. As responsible citizens we have the duty to make our views known in the service of the common good. It is by no means the first time that the Church's voice will be written off, laughed at, or even persecuted for proclaiming truth and simple human dignity.
We encourage the Laity to Hand on the Tradition of Marriage.
Handing on the Catholic vision of marriage is not only the responsibility of Bishops and priests. It is the responsibility of all who profess the Catholic faith. It is the responsibility of Catholic teachers and of all who hold administrative positions in Catholic schools. It is the responsibility of all those who are engaged in religious education classes and in other forms of service in parishes. It is the responsibility of voluntary organizations founded on their Catholic identity. Most of all, it is the responsibility, the gift and the privilege of couples who are married in the Catholic Church. Their example of love, fidelity and nurturing of children bears persuasive witness to the beauty of God’s love in the world.
We shall continue to call on the Government for support.
We call upon governments to increase their support for husbands and wives and their children.
Although many marriages are faithful and loving, nevertheless there are today many pressures on married couples and families. Many marriages are under stress from a variety of sources, such as poverty or illness, unrealistic materialism, immaturity, or the pressure of an environment which often rewards infidelity and belittles commitment. Some children can thus be deprived of the balanced and healthy environment which insures their growth and development. Some families become isolated because they are obliged to seek work by moving away from friends and family. A minority may respond to stress with violence and abuse. Such situations do not, however, negate the fact that marriage, as lived by the majority, is a life-giving partnership.
We therefore ask Governments at all levels to support traditional marriages and all those in need, both married and unmarried. We ask Governments to focus on those needs in recognition of each person’s human dignity and human rights. We ask for support for all mothers, those who are married and for single mothers. We ask for support also for responsible and loving fathers, whose irreplaceable role is not adequately recognized or valued. We ask for support for palliative care for the dying so that families and friends may lovingly accompany a person to the natural end of life, and no one need fear that he or she may be cast out of life itself for lack of a hospital bed. We ask for positive support for the employment which brings material support to persons and families. We ask for Governments to care for the vulnerable, especially the children.
Allow me to end with a biblical quotation describing the nature of marriage from the very beginning: "A man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Gen 2:24).
Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic
Archbishop of Toronto
The Redefinition of Civil Marriage in Canadian Law
Jul 09, 2005
With the House of Commons having passed Bill C-38 on 28 June 2005, Canadians take another unfortunate step toward eliminating civil and social recognition and appreciation for the unique importance of the committed relationship of a man and a woman in marriage. By Cardinal Ambrosic, June 29, 2005
The issues at stake are not only the basis and the definition of marriage as established and celebrated since time immemorial by all religions and cultures, and as inscribed in nature. What is at risk is the future of marriage as a fundamental social institution, together with the importance that society accords to the irreplaceable role of a husband and wife in conceiving and raising children. It is their partnership that assures a stable context for family life, continuity with past and future generations, and gender models involving both mother and father.
With Bill C-38 now proceeding to the Senate of Canada, and in view also of ongoing developments in the health-care crisis, Canadians continue to witness a dangerous deterioration of their communal values. This worrisome decline in shared concern and care for the common good is also evident in the continuing high rates of marriage breakdown, the annual number of abortions, and the declining number of births.
In the face of the political manoeuvring on Bill C-38, it is particularly troubling to note the continued refusal by certain political parties and their leaders to recognize and respect freedom of conscience and religion. Members of Parliament were forced to follow a political deadline and to vote along party lines on an issue which deeply divides and troubles Canadians. This is an ominous sign of what can be expected in future debates on the application of Bill C-38 in the provinces and territories with regard to human rights legislation and the solemnization of marriage, as well as with regard to school policies on moral and social questions. The recent addition of several amendments to Bill C-38 does not diminish significant concerns about protecting freedom of conscience and religion, which the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms identifies as among the most basic of human rights. These apprehensions were repeatedly expressed by a number of groups appearing before the Special Legislative Committee on Bill C-38.
The Archdiocese of Toronto will continue to offer, and to insist upon, the Sacraments in accord with the Catholic belief of two millennia. Marriage will be celebrated only as the union of a man and a woman open to the bringing forth of children. Our pastoral work, our Catholic schools and our Catholic social services are committed to upholding Catholic teaching on marriage.
Finally, I want to thank all those who have worked so hard to support and enhance marriage for the long months during which this debate has been going on. You have made your voices heard in a positive way. You have spoken from your experience of living in family, out of gratitude for your parents' cooperation in God's plan for the family and for the formation of children in his image and likeness.
Celebra il Giubileo Sacerdotale d'Oro
Jun 13, 2005
A lui vanno le nostre sentite congratulazioni unite agli auguri più vivi, espressi in preghiera, per ancora molti anni di ministero in buona salute e ricco di grazie celesti.
(Corriere Canadese, 2005-06-11) Mercoledì, 8 giugno, nella Cattedrale di St. Michael di Toronto si è svolta una solenne celebrazione Eucaristica per onorare l'arcivescovo Ambrozic nella ricorrenza del cinquantesimo del suo sacerdozio.
Una folla straordinaria ha riepito il sacro tempio insieme a cardinali, vescovi, sacerdoti, religiosi e religiose, autorità politiche per offrire un tributo di stima e riconosenza a colui che ha dato 50 anni della sua vita a servizio della Chiesa e dell'intera popolazione che forma la società torontina.
Sua Eminenza nacque a Gaberje (Slovenia), secondo in una famiglia di 7 figli. Dovette affrontare la dura scalata della vita vivendo da piccolo la drammatica esperienza della seconda guerra mondiale. I genitori Aloysius Ambrozic e Helen Pecar per sottrarre la famiglia a costanti pericoli che ne minacciavano l'esistenza si trasferirono con i loro figlioli in Austria ove per tre anni dovettero vivere in campi profughi dislocati in diverse città. Qui, tra mille difficoltà, Aloysius Junior potè completare le scuole secondarie incominciando a rivelarsi di carattere fermo e tenace che lo avrebbe portato alla concquista di tanti successi nella sua vita.
Nel 1948 (settembre) gli Ambrozic emigrarono in Canada e posero la loro residenza nella zona di Toronto. Qui, non molto tempo dopo, il nostro futuro Cardinale, entrò nel seminario di Sant'Agostino per intraprendere il curriculum degli studi di filosofia e di teologia e fu ordinato sacerdote da S. Eminenza il Cardinale James McGuigan il 4 giugno 1955.
Si dice, spesso, che la gente si avvicina di più a Dio nei tempi di calamità, di sofferenza per poi rinchiudersi di nuovo in sestessa nei momenti di benessere ma per il giovane Aloysius Ambrozic fu il contrario perché fu proprio nell'approdo a questa nuova terra che chiamerei della speranza che lui rispose positivamente alla chiamata a dedicare al Signore la sua vita nella missione sacerdotale. Una chiamata che Iddio aveva delineato nel suo cuore durante i duri anni della sua fanciullezza.
Sacerdote novello, Padre Ambrozic, espletò il primo ministero sacerdotale nella parrocchia di St. Theresa a Port Colborne per poi essere chiamato ad insegnare latino per un anno nel seminario di St. Augustin, sempre a Toronto.
Seguirono anni di studio intenso nel campo delle discipline ecclesiastiche a cui i superiori vollero indirizzarlo in considerazione della sua particolare intelligenza e del suo grande interesse agli studi che aveva mostrato.
Così dal 1957 al 1960 frequentò a Roma le univerità pontificie ove consegui la licenza in teologia all'Angelicum e quella in sacra scrittura nel Pontificio Istituto Biblico.
A Roma imparò anche a gustare la buona cucina italiana e il buon vino dei castelli romani oltre naturalmente ad imparare alla perfezione l'idioma nazionale. Il coronamento degli studi delle scienze sacre fu raggiunto con il dottorato in teologia ottenuto presso l'università di Wurzburgh, in Germania.
Fresco di laurea e ricco di idee e di nuove energie il professor Ambrozic insegnò esegesi nella Toronto School of Theology dal 1970 al 1976 diventando contemporaneamente decano agli studi nel seminario di St. Augustin dal 1971 al 1976.
Nel maggio del 1976 Padre Ambrozic ricevette la pienezza del sacerdozio ministeriale con l'ordinazione episcopale con la nuova carica di vescovo ausiliare dell'Arcidiocesi di Toronto. Questo nuovo titolo gli portò anche nuove responsabilità come la direzione pastorale della Central Region, e delle molteplici comunità etniche che formano il ricco tessuto della nostra chiesa locale divenendo anche membro della commissione per l'educazione cristiana della Conferenza Episcopale Canadese. Divenne in seguito forza pensante nel comitato per la revisione del catechismo canadese e fu eletto come rappresentante della chiesa canadese al Sinodo per la formazione dei sacerdoti nel 1990.
Il 22 maggio 1986 S.E. Mons. Ambrozic venne nominato coadiutore per l'Arcidiocesi di Toronto per poi divenirne arcivescovo il 17 marzo 1990. Nuovi impegni, nuove responsabilità derivarono da questa alta posizione ad essere il supremo pastore di una chiesa sempre più ricca di gruppi etnici e sempre più impegnata ad evangelizzare un mondo fatto di cultura laica e refrattario sempre più ai valori sacri della vita. Da rimarcare il suo deciso impegno a sostenere i diritti degli immigrati nel diversi organismi creati dalla Chiesa Cattolica a livello locale e nazionale. Nel mese di gennaio 1998 ricevette la nomina di Cardinale della Santa Romana Chiesa, ufficializzata il 21 di febbraio, con l'imposizione dello smagliante berretto cardinalizio dalle mani del compianto pontefice Giovanni Paolo II.
Questa nomina rese la sua vita molto più occupata e comportò nuove responsabilità richieste dalla Santa Sede. Infatti, appena un anno dopo, fu assegnato alla Congregazione del Culto Divino, e della Disciplina dei Sacramenti e a quella per le Chiese Orientali.
Nel 2004 venne nominato membro del Consiglio dei Cardinali per lo studio dei problemi organizzativi e finanziari della Santa Sede.
Lo scorso aprile il nostro cardinale ha partecipato a Roma a due eventi straordinari della vita della Chiesa di questo inizio del terzo millennio. Uno doloroso nella morte di Papa Giovanni Paolo II e l'altro gaudioso nella elezione del nuovo Pontefice Benedetto XVI.
Il 27 gennaio 2005 il Cardinale Ambrozic ha compiuto 75 anni. Età questa in cui i vescovi e i sacerdoti vanno in pensione, ma il defunto pontefice Giovanni Paolo II gli aveva chiesto di restare ancora in carica per un certo tempo.
Per 50 anni come sacerdote S. Eminenza Aloysius Ambrozic è stato pastore e maestro del Popolo di Dio.
Noi tutti sentiamo il dovere di ringraziare il Signore per averlo posto sul candelabro della sua Santa Chiesa di Toronto per servirlo nella moltitudine dei fratelli e delle sorelle.
Nello stesso tempo ringraziamo S. Eminenza per essersi dedicato senza riserva di energia e di tempo all'espletamento della sua alta missione.
A lui vanno le nostre sentite congratulazioni per il Giubileo d'oro del suo sacerdozio unite agli auguri più vivi, espressi in preghiera, per ancora molti anni di ministero in buona salute e ricco di grazie celesti.
March for Marriage in Ottawa Endorsed by Toronto Cardinal Ambrozic
Mar 21, 2005
A planned march and rally for traditional marriage set for April 9 in Ottawa is fast becoming a very popular event. Toronto Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic has endorsed the demonstration in a letter to the priests of the Toronto Archdiocese.
OTTAWA, March 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - With endorsements from over a dozen organizations the event is likely to draw a sizeable crowd.
At noon on April 9 crowds will gather at the Supreme Court (Kent and Wellington) and march to Parliament Hill where there will be speakers, music and activities from 12:30 to 4pm.
In his letter to priests, Cardinal Ambrozic notes the event is organized by lay people but has the strong support of Ottawa Archbishop Marcel Gervais.
Organizers are calling upon all concerned citizens in the region - and even those outside of central Canada - to rally against the Liberal government's attempt to ram legislation on same-sex "marriage" through Parliament.
One of the organizers, Catholic activist John Pacheco, expressed to LifeSiteNews.com his sincere hope that Canadians in the region will show up for the rally in large numbers.
"We are seeing unprecedented opposition to this legislation all over the country", Pacheco said. "No single rally or march can be seen as the definitive expression of opposition to Bill C-38. However, it only seems fitting that Parliament Hill should serve as a rallying point for people to express their opposition and perhaps encourage other cities and communities to do the same. What better place to defend and support traditional marriage but the place where the question itself will be debated and decided? We are making good progress in getting the word out in the Ottawa area and around the province. I expect a decent turnout."
Organizers are also asking that concerned Canadians even if they cannot come out to the demonstration assist with the costs of the venture.
The event has been endorsed by the following organizations:
Canada Family Action Council
The Knights of Columbus
Toronto Chinese Catholic Community
Équité-Famille
Catholic Civil Rights League
Canadian Conservative Union
United Mothers
The Multi-Faith Coalition for the Defense of Traditional Marriage (Toronto)
Jubilee Centre for Christian Social Action
United Front
REAL Women of Canada
Equipping Christians for the Public Square
Free Dominion
CHRI 99.1 FM Hit Radio
Defend Marriage.ca
"Ne modifiez pas la définition du mariage".
Jan 25, 2005
Face à la polémique sur le mariage homosexuel, qui est en discussion au Canada, l’archevêque catholique de Toronto a demandé dans une lettre au Premier ministre Paul Martin de ne pas modifier la définition du mariage au Canada.
(InfoCatho, 22 janvier 2005) Dans cette lettre publiée dans le quotidien "Globe and Mail" de Toronto, le cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic demande au Premier ministre canadien de maintenir la définition traditionnelle du mariage : l’union d’un homme et d’une femme.
L’heure des discussions est terminée dans le dossier de la reconnaissance des mariages gays, a pour sa part déclaré le gouvernement Martin qui a ainsi rejeté la demande de l’archevêque de Toronto qui voulait invoquer "la clause nonobstant" pour empêcher que la définition du mariage soit modifiée. Au Canada, la "clause nonobstant" permet à un gouvernement de se soustraire à la décision d’un tribunal pour une période de cinq ans. Cette clause dérogatoire de la Constitution assure la suprématie du Parlement sur la Cour suprême.
Le cardinal Ambrozic aurait aimé que le gouvernement contrecarre les jugements favorables aux couples homosexuels rendus par les tribunaux de sept provinces canadiennes. Les Canadiens auraient ainsi bénéficié d’un certain laps de temps pour discuter des conséquences que pourrait avoir une modification aussi radicale de la définition du mariage.
Le gouvernement Martin rappelle que les Eglises ne seront pas obligées de célébrer des mariages entre conjoints de même sexe si cela va à l’encontre de leurs croyances. C’était le moins que l’on pouvait attendre de ce gouvernement dans le sens de la liberté des citoyens.
Toronto Cardinal Endorses Right to Life Pamphlet Initiative
Nov 11, 2004
Toronto and Area Right to Life has distributed pro-life flyers and posters to the Catholic parishes of Toronto with the endorsement and blessing of the Cardinal Archbishop of Toronto, Aloysius Ambrozic.
(LifeSiteNews.com, October 29, 2004) TORONTO - The Cardinal who is likely to retire in January, was quoted in the flyer saying, “Only if we are alive can we live out any other human right.”
The Right to Life Association of Toronto told LifeSiteNews.com they are “delighted” to have received the Cardinal's blessing for their project. “It is a tremendous privilege to have received his endorsement,” said Natalie Hudson, Executive Director of the Association. “The letter that the Cardinal wrote for the back of the insert was excellent and heart-felt. We see this as a real opportunity to inform the laity on a key moral issue and to work in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Toronto.”
Hudson told LifeSiteNews.com that many parishes called and asked for more of the posters and pamphlets. In the letter, Cardinal Ambrozic says, “Speaking of unborn children, and of the needs of these children and their mothers, may not always be popular, but we are called to speak the truth in love.”
Cardinal Ambrozic wrote, “Each one of us is a person with human rights simply because we are human beings. We have these rights not because someone else or an institution or social group wants us, or likes us, or finds us convenient or affordable or acceptable to their aspirations, or wants to give or withhold recognition of us.”
Toronto and Area Right to Life printed 100,000 English inserts as well as some in Italian and French and had requests for Polish and Portugese.
Letter to Mel Gibson’s Chaplain
Nov 02, 2004
Letter to Fr. Stephen Somerville, Queensville, Ontario, on the issue of his collaboration with the Society of St. Pius X, August 18, 2004 (www.RemnantNewspaper.com)
Dear Father Somerville,
I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of August 12 in which you respond to my letter of suspension of July 15. I notice that, in the meantime, the letter of suspension and prior correspondence have been published on www.RemnantNewspaper.com.
The only manner in which you can persuade me to revoke the suspension is by fulfilling the following conditions and this without any kind of qualification:
1. You write all the priests who have been sent your letter endorsing the publication Priest Where is Thy Mass? Mass Where is Thy Priest? and recant your endorsation;
2. You sever all ties with the Society of St. Pius X;
3. You make a declaration of fidelity to Pope John Paul II and your Archbishop;
4. You affirm the authenticity of the teaching of Vatican II;
5. You affirm the validity of the Eucharist celebrated according to all the Canons approved by the Church.
The conditions 2 to 5 are to be fulfilled in writing and sent to my address by August 31. Condition 1 is to be fulfilled in writing to all the addressees by the same date. We wish to see the text of your message before it is sent.
I am sorry it has come to this; we have known each other for a long time. But my fidelity to the Catholic truth gives me no choice but to suspend you. To all your pettifogging arguments I answer with St. Augustine's chief reply to the self-righteously pure Donatist sect, Securus indicat orbis terrarum.
Wishing you all the best, I remain,
Sincerely yours,
Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic
Archbishop of Toronto
Against Mel Gibson’s Chaplain
Oct 01, 2004
I am sorry it has come to this; we have known each other for a long time. But my fidelity to the Catholic truth gives me no choice but to suspend you. To all your pettifogging arguments I answer with St. Augustine's chief reply to the self-righteously pure Donatist sect, Securus indicat orbis terrarum.
(August 18, 2004 www.RemnantNewspaper.com)
Rev. Stephen F. Somerville
Queensville, Ontario
Dear Father Somerville,
I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of August 12 in which you respond to my letter of suspension of July 15. I notice that, in the meantime, the letter of suspension and prior correspondence have been published on www.RemnantNewspaper.com.
The only manner in which you can persuade me to revoke the suspension is by fulfilling the following conditions and this without any kind of qualification:
1. You write all the priests who have been sent your letter endorsing the publication Priest Where is Thy Mass? Mass Where is Thy Priest? and recant your endorsation;
2. You sever all ties with the Society of St. Pius X;
3. You make a declaration of fidelity to Pope John Paul II and your Archbishop;
4. You affirm the authenticity of the teaching of Vatican II;
5. You affirm the validity of the Eucharist celebrated according to all the Canons approved by the Church.
The conditions 2 to 5 are to be fulfilled in writing and sent to my address by August 31. Condition 1 is to be fulfilled in writing to all the addressees by the same date. We wish to see the text of your message before it is sent.
I am sorry it has come to this; we have known each other for a long time. But my fidelity to the Catholic truth gives me no choice but to suspend you. To all your pettifogging arguments I answer with St. Augustine's chief reply to the self-righteously pure Donatist sect, Securus indicat orbis terrarum.
Wishing you all the best, I remain,
Sincerely yours,
Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic
Archbishop of Toronto
Backing of a Pro-Abortion Politician to High Profile Catholic Post
Sept 09, 2004
Responding to concerned Catholics who wrote about the appointment of former Ontario PC cabinet minister Tina Molinari - listed as 'pro-abortion' by a pro-life group - to a high profile post within Catholic Missions in Canada, Toronto Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic's spokeseman said he backs the appointment.
TORONTO, August 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Despite a 1999 pro-life group's evaluation and a July 20 LifeSiteNews.com interview with Tina Molinari, both of which indicated that she was not pro-life, Cardinal Ambrozic says in a letter of July 23, "I am completely confident that the staff of Catholic Missions In Canada fully believe and support the Catholic teaching of respect for and preservation of all human life, and that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception."
LifeSiteNews.com asked Molinari if she opposed abortion in all circumstances, she responded, "Well, I am not one to judge a woman's decision to make those decisions. I don't think it's my place to judge. I think that's between the woman, her doctor and her God." Asked, "Would you support a law to make abortion illegal?," Molinari responded, "The question is irrelevant because I'm in no position to support any law in that respect."
When LifeSiteNews.com contacted the Archdiocese to discuss the issue, the Cardinal's spokesman, Suzanne Scorsone, said that the Cardinal had met personally with Molinari and discussed the issues. "I know that he has had discussions with her, and since he said that he is confident, he is confident," Scorsone told LifeSiteNews.com.
When LifeSiteNews.com pointed out that an interview conducted only three days prior to the Cardinal's letter demonstrated that Molinari clearly did not follow the Church's teaching on life, Scorsone revealed that the Cardinal knew of the LifeSite report. "He's certainly aware of what your publication has said," said Scorsone.
When asked if a copy of the interview would be of assistance, the offer was declined.
LifeSiteNews.com had a letter hand-delivered to the Cardinal's office explaining the difficulty and revealing that in an interview Molinari had demonstrated she did not "fully believe and support the Catholic teaching" on pro-life as the Cardinal's letter suggested.
When LifeSiteNews.com asked that Molinari be on record as rejecting her former non pro-life stand or at least embracing the pro-life stand, Ms. Scorsone responded, "You have the cardinal's record and that is record." During the discussion Scorsone added, "If he's confident I don't see why others would not trust that confidence . . . Thank you very much for your concern."
Statement from Cardinal Ambrozic
Celebra il Giubileo Sacerdotale d'Oro
"Ne modifiez pas la définition du mariage".