Earlier today, the Permanent Council for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a pastoral letter on freedom of conscience and religion. Issued by the CCCB’s Permanent Council, the letter expresses concern about an “aggressive relativism” in Canada that seeks to relegate religion to the private sphere. More than that, the Permanent Council explains why ...read more

Today is Canada Health Day, and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Saint Elizabeth Health Care to Canadian society. Mary Rose Bacani interviews Shirlee Sharkey (President & CEO of Saint Elizabeth Health Care), Michael Decter (Chair), and Nancy Lefebre (Senior Vice-President of Knowledge and Practice) on Saint Elizabeth Health ...read more

Thousands of pro-life supporters from across Canada gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa yesterday for the 2012 National March for Life. Khoi Vu and I had the great privilege in taking part in this year’s events. Cloudy skies and a constant threat of rain did not deter the young, old, man and woman from coming ...read more

Why is the practice of religion such a universal phenomenon throughout the history of cultures? Do religions still have a role to play in the secularized countries of the 21st century? Are religions currently evolving in pluralistic societies? An exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, entitled God(s): a User’s Guide, provides the inspiration for ...read more

Dublin, Ireland will host the 50th International Eucharistic Congress, June 10-17th, 2012. This is the second time Ireland will host the Universal Church, the last time being in 1932. Join host Cheridan Eygelaar as she speaks with Father Kevin Doran, Secretary General of IEC 2012, about the Congress that celebrates the summit and source of ...read more

This past Sunday was the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. For many of us, the image of a priest or religious comes to mind when we say ‘vocation’ but there’s also the permanent diaconate. Meet these great men, who’ve said yes to the call to serve. Host Pedro Guevara Mann explores the permanent diaconate. ...read more

A trip to Israel is more than a vacation. It’s a tour through biblical history, as well as an inner journey to meet Jesus. The people and places of the Holy Land testify to Him as a living Gospel account. On Catholic Focus, we take a pilgrimage to Israel. There, we go behind the scenes ...read more

Sunday, April 29 is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Pope Benedict XVI wrote this letter about this year’s day of prayer. Dear Brothers and Sisters, The 49th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on 29 April 2012, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, prompts us to meditate on the theme: ...read more

Why is the practice of religion such a universal phenomenon throughout the history of cultures? Do religions still have a role to play in the secularized countries of the 21st century? Are religions currently evolving in pluralistic societies? An exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, entitled God(s): a User’s Guide, provides the inspiration for ...read more

On a recent episode of Catholic Focus, we tackled the issue of prostitution and the ongoing legal challenge to Ontario’s laws related to the sex trade. Today, a Court of Appeal reaffirmed parts of Justice Susan Himel’s controversial 2010 ruling that struck down three of those laws. In summary, the court agreed with Justice Himel ...read more