Clergy must focus on saving human life

I am writing in response to Bishop Brian Dunn’s opinion piece (“Pope Francis’ pastoral approach,” Cape Breton Post, April 15).

After his scheduled meeting with Pope Francis in March, Bishop Dunn said they discussed pastoral issues affecting Atlantic Canada and how he was struck by Pope Francis’ pastoral approach, as he notes here: “The foundation of the pastoral approach of Pope Francis is his commitment to the spiritual welfare of people above all, rather than putting rules ahead of people. In our discussion of euthanasia and assisted suicide, Pope Francis spoke how, the day before our visit, he had encountered a young man who was going to Switzerland to rent an apartment to kill himself because of his health condition. The Pope listened to his story, showed his love for him, hugged him and then left it in the hands of God.”

With the utmost respect to Bishop Dunn, Pope Francis and to our Holy Catholic Church, of which I’m a practising member, I am writing to take issue with what is promoted as spiritual welfare over rules.

When Christ gave Peter the keys to His Holy Catholic Church, He said what you bind on earth is bound in Heaven and what you loose on earth is loosed in Heaven. To date, there is a lot of binding between us which may not be unbound. Regardless, some today are on a mission to undermine this holy foundation.

Some take the full power of God’s Church to turn it toward unbinding what they should be too fearful to touch. They scoff at fear of the Lord as a threat instead of giving it it’s value as a loving grace from God and play fast/loose with His Blessed Sacrament, intended to sustain us till we pass into eternal life.

Clergy listening to someone planning their own death, showing them love, hugs and telling them to go with God, is no different than a parent listening to their child planning their own death, shows them love, hugs and tells them, go with God.

That is not love. It’s abandonment and a particularly cowardly type. They’re not sending unwell people off to learn life’s hard lessons. These people won’t be just more emotionally and physically scarred in the end. They will be dead. We are not a death religion. We are a fullness of life religion, intended to continue until our final holy passing from this life into eternal life.

Every Catholic priest, Pope Francis and Bishop Dunn included, is to be Christ/God to their flock; not to rewrite the Good Shepherd/Good Samaritan teachings but to invest themselves in saving human life; to go out to and carry the half dead until healed or bring the suffering to a care giver, not send them away.

Euthanasia, which I believe is an unholy death, is to be countered, because it is evil. You do not send human life, which our Holy Catholic Church defines as Sacred, to an unholy death. You cannot accompany it either because love doesn’t have the stomach to accompany evil. Worldwide, society has in place, proven systems to rescue human life. Perhaps our Church could build upon them.

Pope Francis gives many messages; April 12 he told pro lifers:“You are doing the best possible work ... there is no more important work from this ... save as many lives as possible.” Maybe Bishop Dunn could write a compelling letter about this, as he did in 2016, asking us to unite against the euthanasia travesty. Angela MacDougall, Jamesville, Victoria County

I will strategically vote anyone but Liberal on May 30 because Stephen McNeil’s Liberals abolished the Cape Breton Regional Health Authority to save money.

This action resulted in fewer home care services for people like me and my family, services needed to keep a family member out of a nursing home and services which are now paid for entirely out-of-pocket.

It angers me that the McNeil’s government is taking money from people like us and spending it on private companies in Liberal Mainland ridings.

For instance, PEI-based Bay Ferries gets over $33 million and profit guarantees to provide eight months of service from Yarmouth to Maine. Upper Cements Park in McNeil’s riding got a taxpayer’s gift of $300,000.

Interestingly, McNeil was reported by the CBC on June 14, 2016 as having told Cape Breton business and political leaders that: “there would be no money from the province to build a container terminal in Sydney.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/ canada/nova-scotia/premierstephen-mcneil-sydney-areachamber-commerce-1.3635104

So, re-electing a Liberal MLA means Cape Bretoners like me will continue to pay extra to keep family members at home and, in my opinion, it will enable the McNeil government to support expensive private ventures on the Mainland while doing nothing to develop a container terminal here.

Not much of a deal as far as I’m concerned. Toby Morris Sydney