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Bishops to tackle budget, abuse crisis closure

By 
  • October 12, 2011

OTTAWA - When Canada鱿鱼视频app Catholic bishops meet for their annual plenary Oct. 17-21, they will face ongoing budgetary concerns and decisions on how to bring closure to the more than two-decades-old clerical sexual abuse crisis.

The bishops will also reflect on freedom and conscience formation, another area where Catholic institutions, especially schools and health care facilities, are experiencing pressure from provincial governments. They will also consider controversial immigration issues as well as ecumenism and interfaith relations.

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) General Secretary Msgr. Patrick Powers said the financial picture for the conference 鈥渟till works out all right,鈥 relative to the budget deficits of several years ago that forced a massive restructuring of the Ottawa secretariat.

鈥淏ut the warning signs are there,鈥 Powers said. 鈥淚f we do not deal with some of the major important issues that are creating difficulties for the conference, we鈥檒l find ourselves in terrible trouble.鈥

He cited secretariat pension issues as one problem

鈥淧ension plans find themselves in deficit positions and major payments have had to be made to the pension plan here since the year 2003/2004; over $500,000,鈥 Powers said. 鈥淭hat just doesn鈥檛 fall from the sky.鈥

The CCCB faced an upgrade of its computers, servers and web site that cost $250,000 but Powers noted the technological infrastructure 鈥渉ad not been touched鈥 in 15 years. This investment will increase the productivity of the work force at the secretariat, he said.

鈥淲ith the additional expenses we had, we are still holding our own but we would be irresponsible if we did not realize we are accumulating a significant deficit that gets supported by the overall picture,鈥 he said.

The jumpy stock markets and threats of a debt crisis in Europe and a recession in the United States have also contributed to a bleaker financial picture for the Canadian Church as a whole.

鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app becoming harder and harder for dioceses to pay the per capita they have because of financial situation we鈥檙e in,鈥 he said. 

Halifax Archbishop Anthony Mancini and London Bishop Ronald Fabbro, who are featured presenters at McGill University鱿鱼视频app abuse conference in Montreal Oct. 14-15, will share their perspectives on the topic. London Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Daniels will also give an overview of a Rome meeting earlier this year where representatives from various English-speaking episcopal conferences 鈥渟hared their experiences about protecting children and vulnerable adults,鈥 according to CCCB Assistant General Secretary Bede Hubbard.

鈥淲hat we do now is what鱿鱼视频app going to lead us through the next year,鈥 Powers said. 鈥淭he plenary is the highest instance of authority in the Church.鈥

The executive has already been elected, except for the position of co-treasurer for the French Sector. Traditionally, French and English Sectors have rotated leadership of the CCCB.

CCCB President Bishop Pierre Morissette of St. Jerome finishes a two-year term at the plenary鱿鱼视频app close. Vice president Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton has been elected to a two-year term as president. Alexandria-Cornwall Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher moves from four years as co-treasurer for the French Sector into the vice presidential slot, and Hamilton Bishop Douglas Crosby continues another two-year term as co-treasurer, poised to move into the VP position a couple of years from now. Two names have been put forward for the new French Sector co-treasurer: Saint-Jean Longueuil Bishop Lionel Gendron and Rimouski Archbishop Pierre-Andre Fournier.

Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins, episcopal delegate for the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, will report on whether Canada will have an ordinariate for Anglicans wishing to become Catholic while retaining aspects of the liturgy, patrimony and married priesthood.

The CCCB鱿鱼视频app doctrinal commission will guide a discussion on freedom and formation of conscience; the justice and peace commission will lead a reflection on immigration; and the Christian unity and interfaith commission will focus on the fruits of the ecumenical dialogue and the New Evangelization, Powers said.

The plenary will also hear reports from various Catholic organizations, including the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace and the Catholic Organization for Life and Family.

Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana will address the plenary, linking the events in the Canadian Church to that of the Universal Church and the Holy See.

Powers said the CCCB will present the nuncio with the second copy of the new Canadian version of the English translation of the Roman Missal at a reception in his honour Oct. 17 (the first copy will be presented to Pope Benedict XVI by Smith, Durocher and Powers in November).

The first batch of missals 鈥 1,000 copies of each of the large parish version and the smaller chapel version 鈥 are set to arrive Oct. 15, a month ahead of schedule.

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