March-2010

	American Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, celebrates Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa March 8.
	American Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, celebrates Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa March 8.
	Newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, Archbishop Pedro López Quintana attends a mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa March 8 presided by American Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. López Quintana succeeds Archbishop Luigi Ventura, who is now the Apostolic Nuncio to France.
	Treasury Board President Stockwell Day has announced cuts of 245 Governor in Council appointments across Canada. "The reduction of 245 positions from various federal organizations will not affect the delivery of government services in any way," Day said in a news release March 8. "Rather, it will better address the current workload of these organizations and streamline their efficiency in delivering service to Canadians." Some of the cuts involve patronage appointments.
	The pope's invitation to disaffected Anglicans is "an initiative which is clearly a response to a request and needs to be seen in the larger context of Anglican-Roman Catholic relations," says Msgr. Don Bolen, the Catholic Bishop-elect of Saskatoon. The (Anglican-Roman Catholic) dialogue, he added, "still very much continues with the goal of full visible unity." Bolen was answering a question posed to him following his talk on 40 years of dialogue in the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) at a public meeting at Saint Paul University in Ottawa March 4. Bolen was assigned to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome as the Vatican’s officer for relations with the Anglican Communion from 2001-2008. In his talk, Bolen said the courage of the ARCIC partners "has much to teach us about living with diversity and dealing with conflict." He added, "We need to draw on these agents of reconciliation in the world."
	The Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches "need to broaden and deepen how we talk about and experience communion and clarify that we really do have a common understanding," said Anglican Bishop John Baycroft, retired Bishop of Ottawa. Baycroft was a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) from 1988-2005 and has been a member of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission since its establishment in 2001. He and Msgr. Don Bolen, the Bishop-elect of Saskatoon, gave reflections on 40 years of dialogue in ARCIC at a public meeting at Saint Paul University in Ottawa March 4 . Baycroft also said that Anglicans recognize the authenticity of a Catholic eucharist and added, "I think there are many Catholics who have come to recognize the authenticity of an Anglican eucharist." He said, " We’re already seeing that God is at work and the experience of communion is authentic, even though it isn’t interchangeable."
	Anglican Bishop John Baycroft refers to the book, Growing Together in Unity and Mission: building on 40 years of Anglican-Catholic Dialogue, during a reflection at a public meeting at Saint Paul University in Ottawa March 4. Baycroft, retired Bishop of Ottawa, was a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) from 1988-2005 and has been a member of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission since its establishment in 2001. He said the two churches "need to broaden and deepen how we talk about and experience communion and clarify that we really do have a common understanding."
	Anglican Bishop John Baycroft and Roman Catholic Bishop-elect of Saskatoon, Msgr. Don Bolen gave reflections on 40 years of dialogue in the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) at a public meeting at Saint Paul University in Ottawa March 4. Bolen, who was assigned to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome as the Vatican’s officer for relations with the Anglican Communion from 2001-2008, said the courage of the ARCIC partners "has much to teach us about living with diversity and dealing with conflict. He added, "We need to draw on these agents of reconciliation in the world." Baycroft, retired Bishop of Ottawa, was a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) from 1988-2005 and has been a member of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission since its establishment in 2001. He said the two churches "need to broaden and deepen how we talk about and experience communion and clarify that we really do have a common understanding."
	Finance Minister Jim Flaherty gives the thumbs up before entering the House of Commons to present the Conservative government's budget March 4 which pledges to save $17.6 billion over the next five years through spending restraint, including easing up on military expenditures and capping foreign aid.
	Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper confront a sea of photographers before entering the House of Commons to present a new budget March 4.
	"What we got was a turning of our backs on the poorest and most vulnerable in developing countries," in the March 4 federal budget, said Gerry Barr, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation
	Dennis Howlett, National Coordinator of Make Poverty History, criticized the March 4 federal budget, saying "Now is not the time to cap aid when the economic crisis and climate change are reversing global progress on poverty reduction."
	Dave Quist, Executive Director of The Institute of Marriage and Family Canada, said his group "continues to look for tangible tax relief for Canadian families." While there have been no tax increases for individuals in the federal budget of March 4, he added, "neither are there any tax decreases." Quist said the institute's research "confirms the number one family stress is family finances."
	Pamela Fralick, President and CEO of the Canadian Healthcare Association, said some initiatives in the March 4 budget fell short of the organization's expectations. She said that while there are some advantages for seniors who have funds to invest Canadians deserve more. " There are additional and better approaches to reduce poverty among seniors," she said.
	Governor General Michaëlle Jean inspects the honour guard on Parliament Hill March 3 before delivering the Throne Speech in the Senate Chamber. The speech, which sketches the government's goals and strategy for the new session of Parliament, emphasized spending restraint but says jobs and growth remain the top priority. Opposition leaders panned the speech, calling it a "disappointment," "old stuff" and saying that it offered "nothing for Quebec."
	As above
	As above