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| Religous Education: Charles Weckend
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* Sexuality Curriculum Grades 4 to 9
* Classrooom Blessing
* October Theme
* Religion Calendar Links
* 2009-2010 Religion Calendar
* Bishop Bouchard's Letter on Gambling
* Bishops' Letter on the HPV Vaccine
Sexuality Curriculum Grades 4 to 9
Please find below a description of our sexuality curriculum based on that of the Calgary Catholic Board of Education. (They have graciously and generously given us permission to use and adapt their resource for this curriculum.) Our use of this resource in our curriculum is a work in progress. At this point, what you will find in the links below is an outline of the Calgary Catholic program guiding our teachers.
www.cssd.ab.ca/files/parent_resources/Human Sexuality Parents Handbook Grades 4-6.pdf
www.cssd.ab.ca/files/parent_resources/parent-handbookgrade7-9.pdf
Classroom Blessing
Classroom Blessing: The Sign of the Cross
(Note: Help students prepare for the blessing by asking them to write on a small piece of paper the names of people for whom they wish to pray: family, friends, people in the world who are carrying a cross of suffering—these can be the cross of sickness, loneliness, mental illness, hunger, homelessness, fear, poverty and war. They will place these papers on the prayer table as they come up to you to be blessed on the forehead with the sign of the cross. During the blessing turn on some quiet music.)
Teacher:
In our classroom we have a cross. Today we honor it.
(Light the candle on your prayer table.) The Cross of Jesus is our Cross.
We carry it in our minds, our hearts, our souls and our bodies. We carry it together.
That is why we now make the sign of the cross together:
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Listen to what God says about the cross—from Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
Don’t do any thing from selfish ambition
or from a cheap desire to boast,
but be humble towards one another,
always considering others better than yourselves.
And look out for one another’s interests,
not just for your own.
The attitude you should have
is the one that Christ Jesus had.
He always had the nature of God,
But he did not think that by force
He should try to become equal with God.
Instead of this, of his own free will
He gave up all he had,
And took the nature of a servant.
He became like human beings
And appeared in human likeness.
He was humble
And walked the path of obedience
All the way to death—
His death on the cross.
For this reason God raised him
To the highest place above
And gave him the name that
Is greater than any other name.
And so, in honour of the name
Of Jesus all being
In heaven, on earth, and in the
World below will fall on their knees,
And all will openly proclaim that Jesus
Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
(From The Good News Bible)
Teacher: Each of us carries our cross with Christ. He takes our suffering and turns it into eternal life. In a moment we will bless you with the sign of the cross. We will pray that God gives you eternal life in heaven, and that you help each other carry your crosses.
Bow your heads. Please think now of the people you also want to pray for, those who carry the cross of sickness, loneliness, fear, homelessness, mental illness, poverty, hunger and war. These are the people you wrote about on the sheet of paper that you will place on the prayer table. Ask God to help them carry their cross, to turn it into eternal life.
Now we will bless you with the sign of the cross. We will play some quiet music. Silently come up to receive the blessing and place the sheet of the people you want to remember on the prayer table. All answer “Amen” strongly for each person as they are blessed.
(Turn on quiet music. Students come up one at a time to be blessed by you and they place their paper on the prayer table and return quietly to their place. Bless each student by making a sign of the cross on their forehead. You may do this applying holy water or blessed oil.)
_______(Name)________________¬ be blessed by God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. May you carry Christ’s cross with your brothers and sisters. May you experience Christ’s resurrection, through Christ our Lord.
All Together: Amen! (at the end of each person’s blessing.)
Teacher: Let us conclude with the Lord’s prayer: “Our Father…”
Lord, thank you for giving your life for us on the cross, and for sharing your life with us through the cross. Help us to follow you, who live and reign for ever and ever.
Together: Amen!
Teacher: May almighty God bless us, (sign of the cross) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Together: Amen!
Teacher: Let us live in the peace of Christ!
Together: Thanks be to God!
(Have some muffins or cookies!)
Coming October Theme
October in a Catholic School
We are beginning October with a blessing of the pets. Why? In a round-about way, here’s the answer.
In Catholic schools we believe that God speaks to us.
God’s first Word is spoken in creation. In creation God says: “I am good. I love you!”
You can hear that message if you respect creation. Aboriginal peoples hear it clearly.
Christians, however, too often ignore that message. Raw greed and the culture of money lead them to abuse and exploit the earth.
Fortunately, God sends prophets to call us back. One of these is St. Francis of Assisi.
Among the followers of Jesus Christ, Francis stands out for his love of Mother Earth and creation.
It was Francis who, on Christmas Eve in 1283, gave us the Christmas crib scene. What is significant is that he made a point of including live farm animals. He knew that creation and living things rejoiced at Christ’s birth.
There are many other stories of Francis’ deep relationship with nature and animals. By speaking to a ravaging wolf, he tamed it for the terrified townspeople of Gubbio. Birds gathered to hear him preach.
He sang of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, and even of Sister Death—such was his trust in God’s goodness in nature.
For reasons such as this he has been proclaimed the patron Saint of animals and the Environment.
The day we celebrate his life with Christ, his “feast day”, is October 4.
Blessing of animals and pets is appropriately connected to his feast day. We thank God for their goodness and ask for their care. (For more information on Francis and animals see www.americancatholic.org/features/Francis).
Francis teaches us how to bless God’s creation—our only hope of respecting it. Our children sense this deeply. They want their pets blessed!
Charles Weckend
Religious Education Coordinator
Religion Calendar Links
1. Daily (Mass) Readings and Saints: http://www.usccb.org/nab/
2. Daily Liturgy of the Hours: www.universalis.com
2009-2010 Religion Calendar
August 23 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time John 6:60-69
August 26 Opening Mass (St. John’s Church 8:30)
August 27 Fr. Gerard’s 27th Anniversary of Ordination
August 30 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Sept. 6 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 7:31-37
Fr. Gerard Farewell
Sept. 8 Memorial of the Birth of Mary
Sept. 13 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 8:27-35
Sept. 14 Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross John 3:13-17
Sept. 20 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 9:30-37
Parish Blessing of New Teachers
Sept. 21 Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist
Sept. 22 Grade 7 Parent/Child Night St. Paul Church 7:00-9:00
Sept. 23 Grade 7 Parent/Child Night St. Paul Church 7:00-9:00
Sept. 26 St. John de Breboeuf, St. Isaac Jogues Canadian Martyrs
Sept. 27 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Sept. 29 Feast of Saints Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Archangels
Oct. 1 St. Theresa of the Child Jesus
Steve Bell Concert, St. Paul’s Church 7:30 P.M.
Oct. 2 Feast of Our Guardian Angels
Spiritual Development Day
Oct. 4 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 10:2-16
Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi.
Pet Blessing
Oct. 11 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10:17-30
Oct. 16 St. Marguerite de Youville (Founder of the Grey Nuns)
Oct. 22 Parish Team/School Administrators Meeting at CEC
Oct. 18 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 10:35-45
Oct. 25 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 10:46-52
Oct. 31 All Hallows Eve (Eve of All Saints)
Parish Halloween Celebration
Fr. Patrick Mercredi anniversary: date of death 1982
Nov. 1 Solemnity of All Saints Matthew 5:1-12
Nov. 8 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 12:38
Collection for Religious Education in the Diocese
Nov. 15 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 13:24-32
Nov. 22 Solemnity of Christ the King John 18:33-37
Nov. 29 1st Sunday of Advent Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Nov. 30 Celebration of Reconciliation at Schools
Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle
Dec. 1 Celebration of Reconciliation at Schools
Dec. 2 Celebration of Reconciliation at Schools
Dec. 3 Celebration of Reconciliation at Schools
Dec. 4 Celebration of Reconciliation at Schools
Dec. 6 2nd Sunday of Advent Luke 3:1-6
Memorial of St. Nicholas, Bishop
Dec. 7 Celebration of Reconciliation
Dec. 8 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Dec. 9 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
Dec. 10 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
Dec. 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Birthday of Fr. Beauregard (b. 1912)
Dec. 13 3rd Sunday of Advent Luke 3:10-18
Dec. 16 Birthday of Fr. Turcotte (b. 1897)
Dec. 20 4th Sunday of Advent Luke 1:39-45
Dec. 24 Christmas--Solemnity of the Birth of Jesus Luke 2:15-20
Dec. 26 Feast of St. Stephen, the First Martyr
Dec. 27 Feast of St. John Apostle and Evangelist
Dec. 27 Feast of the Holy Family Luke 2:41-52
Dec. 28 Feast of the Holy Innocents
Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God
Jan. 3 Feast of Epiphany
Jan. 4 Epiphany Blessings in Schools
Jan. 5 Parish Epiphany Blessing in Schools
Jan. 6 Parish Epiphany Blessing in Schools
Jan. 7 Parish Epiphany Blessing in Schools
Jan. 8 Parish Epiphany Blessing in Schools
Jan. 10 Baptism of the Lord Mark 1:7-11
Jan. 12 St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
Jan. 13 Reconciliation Teachers Meeting CEC 4:00-5:00 P.M.
Jan. 17 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time John 2:1-12
Jan. 20 Parent Meeting for Sacrament of Reconciliation, St. John’s Church , 7:30 P.M.
Jan. 21 Parent Meeting for Sacrament of Reconciliation, St. Paul’s Church, 7:30 PM
Jan. 24 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
Jan. 25 Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Jan. 31 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 4:21-30
Birth of Sr. Mary Phillips (b. 1918)
Feb. 7 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 5:1-11
Welcome of Reconciliation Candidates at Mass
Feb. 11 Parish Team/School Administrators Meeting, St. John’s Church
Feb. 14 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 6:17, 20-26
Feast of St. Valentine
Feb. 17 Ash Wednesday Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Feb. 21 1st Sunday of Lent Luke 4:1-13
Feb. 28 2nd Sunday of Lent Luke 9:28-36
March 1 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
March 2 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
March 3 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
Confirmation/1st Eucharist Teacher Meeting
March 4 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
March 5 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
Parent/Child 1st Reconciliation Retreat
March 6 Parent/Child 1st Reconciliation Retreat
March 7 3rd Sunday of Lent Luke 13:1-9
March 8 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
March 9 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
March 10 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
Parent 1st Communion/Confirmation Meeting St. John’s Church, 7:30 PM
March 11 Celebration of Reconciliation in Schools
Parent 1st Communion/Confirmation Meeting St. Paul’s Church, 7:30 PM
March 12 Parent/Child 1st Reconciliation Retreat
March 13 Parent/Child 1st Reconciliation Retreat
Catholic Conference, Edmonton
Anniversary of the Death of Fr. Turcotte omi, 1980
March 14 4th Sunday of Lent Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Catholic Conference, Edmonton
March 15 Celebration of First Reconciliation
March 16 Celebration of First Reconciliation
March 17 Celebration of First Reconciliation
Feast of St. Patrick
March 19 Celebration of First Reconciliation
Feast of St. Joseph
March 20 Welcome of Students Preparing for 1st Communion and Confirmation at Mass
March 21 5th Sunday of Lent John 8:1-11
Welcome of Students Preparing for 1st Communion and Confirmation at Mass
March 24 Confirmation/1st Communion Parent Meeting, St. John Church 7:30 P.M.
March 25 Confirmation/1st Communion Parent Meeting, St. Paul Church 7:30 P.M. Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord
March 28 Palm Sunday Luke 22:14--23:56
March 30 Diocesan Chrism Mass
April 3 Easter Vigil
April 4 Easter Sunday John 20:1-9
April 11 2nd Sunday of Easter John 20:19-31
April 18 3rd Sunday of Easter John 21:1-19
April 19 Easter School Blessings
April 20 Easter School Blessings
April 21 Easter School Blessings
April 22 Easter School Blessings
April 23 Easter School Blessings
Parent/Child Confirmation/1st Communion Retreat
April 24 Parent/Child Confirmation/1st Communion Retreat
April 25 4th Sunday of Easter John 10:27-30 Feast of St. Phillip and James
Anniversary of the death of Fr. Maurice Beauregard omi , 1998
May 2 5th Sunday of Easter, John 13:31-33
May 3 Grade 2 Celebration of Reconciliation
May 4 Grade 2 Celebration of Reconciliation
May 5 Grade 2 Celebration of Reconciliation
May 6 Grade 2 Celebration of Reconciliation
May 7 Parent/Child Confirmation/1st Communion Retreat
May 8 Parent/Child Confirmation/1st Communion Retreat
May 9 6th Sunday of Easter John 14:23-29
Year’s Ending Blessing of New Teachers
May 16 Ascension Sunday John 17:20-26
May 23 Pentecost Sunday John 20:19-23
May 25 Confirmation/1st Eucharist
May 26 Confirmation/1st Eucharist
May 27 Confirmation/1st Eucharist
May 28 Confirmation/1st Eucharist
May 30 Holy Trinity Sunday John 16:12-15
June 6 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 7:11-17
June 13 Feast of the Body of Christ Luke 7:36--8:3
June 18 Anniversary of the death of Sr. Mary Phillips S.O.S., 2000
June 20 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 9:18-24
June 24 Birth of St. John the Baptist Luke 1:57-66, 80
Parish Feast of St. John Baptist
June 27 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 9:51-62
June 30 Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
July 4 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
July 11 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 10:25-37
July 18 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 10:38-42
July 25 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 11:1-13
Feast of St. James, Apostle
Aug. 1 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 12:13-21
Aug. 8 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 12:32-48
Aug. 15 Feast of the Assumption Luke 1:39-56
Aug. 22 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 13:22-30
Aug. 29 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Luke 14:1, 7-14
Catholic Schools and Gambling
On Gambling
Pastoral Letter to the Faithful of the Diocese of St. Paul
A Shepherd Speaks
By BISHOP LUC BOUCHARD
St. Paul
2007
Introduction
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In 1998, the Alberta Catholic bishops issued a joint pastoral letter "The False Eden of Gambling" in order to inform Catholics of the moral and social problems created by legalized gambling. Since then the gambling industry in Alberta has experienced incredible growth. The revenue currently being extracted from gambling, 1.3 billion dollars, is staggering. What is more difficult to visualize is the growth in human suffering that has accompanied this surge in gambling revenue. In this pastoral letter I hope to expand on the initial concerns the bishops expressed in 1998 and offer some advice and directives as to how Catholics can best confront the moral challenge of a gambling culture.
Uninformed citizens view these growing revenues as good news and mistakenly think gambling is a form of voluntary taxation, a painless and victimless way to raise government revenue. This outlook ignores the well-documented fact that a massively disproportionate amount of gambling revenues comes from the poor and the addicted. The respected Vanier Institute on the Family, for example, in June 2006 released "Gambling with Our Kids' Future," which reported how children in problem gambling families live in an "atmosphere of chronic interpersonal conflict, poor parenting, and domestic violence." Legalized gambling is not socially harmless but quite destructive to individuals, to families, and ultimately to communities.
I hope you will read this letter with care, prayerfully consider its contents, and then discern how you should act in order to correct a growing injustice. I will first provide an historical context illustrating how over the last forty years a gambling culture developed in Alberta. Then I will document the scope and type of suffering created by legalized gambling followed by a summary of the Church's moral and social teaching. I will conclude by stating what we as a Church can do to reduce the harm caused by legalized gambling. My conclusion includes some specific directives for Catholic institutions and organizations, as it is essential that our own house be in order if we are to effectively defend the victims of gambling.
The Creation of a Gambling Culture in Alberta
Prior to 1967, the only gambling permitted in Alberta took place on the midways at agricultural fairs and exhibitions through relatively innocent games of chance and skill such as dart throws. The first exception to this ban was in July of 1967 at the Edmonton fair grounds when temporary approval was granted for a weeklong public casino limiting the maximum bet to $2.00 for blackjack and wheel of chance.
Despite the popularity of this casino, for the next seven years the government continued to closely regulate gambling allowing only a small number of temporary casinos at agricultural fairs. These annual casinos were generally considered a form of entertainment and were viewed as a socially harmless way to raise money for charitable causes.
The first licenses for temporary local casinos were granted in 1975. They were hugely successful at generating revenue. Their financial success indicated that there was a lot of money to be made in gambling. Six years later privately operated charitable casinos were opened in Calgary and Edmonton. Casino growth from this date on was extremely rapid. By the mid 1990's there were eleven full time casinos operating in Alberta. This growth in gambling happened with little public consultation and with no assessment of the potential social cost.
In 1992, video lottery terminals (VLT's) were introduced in Alberta and their numbers over the next three years grew at the astonishing rate of 1400% from 435 terminals in 84 locations to nearly 6,000 terminals in over 1000 locations. In 1996 slot machines, which are simply a variation of VLT's, were introduced in casinos.
Today there are seventeen permanent casino facilities that offer a wide range of games while also providing over 8,000 slot machines. Scattered throughout the province in over 70% of bars and taverns there are 6000 VLT's. In addition, there are nearly 2,300 ticket lottery centres, 5 racetracks, and 3 racing entertainment centres. Very few people in Alberta have to travel more than thirty minutes to "try their luck." Gambling in Alberta is so visible and so ever present that no one any longer even notices what a profound ethical transformation has occurred in such a short period of time. In less than thirty years, Alberta was transformed from a province that scorned gambling as disreputable and undesirable to one that now enthusiastically promotes gambling as an entertainment. This rapid change in public opinion was made possible by a skillful marketing campaign. The public's previous understanding of gambling as socially undesirable was slowly and imperceptibly altered so that gambling came to be seen as a kind of indoor adult sport that is now euphemistically referred to as "gaming."
During the late 1990's some citizen groups woke up to the social damage being caused especially by VLT's and lobbied for a provincial referendum. They were not allowed the referendum but were rather forced to petition for local plebiscites in each affected community where they were easily outspent by the pro-VLT Alberta Hotel Association.
Pro-gambling forces presented themselves in these referendum campaigns as being not so much interested in making money as they were in defending people's freedom of choice. The pro-VLT lobby played upon the fact that problem gamblers constitute only a small minority and framed the issue as one of civil liberties vs. censorship. They conducted a campaign that asked "why should the majority suffer the loss of entertainment because of the personal difficulties of a few?" The gambling industry succeeded in presenting itself as a relatively harmless leisure time activity that provided entertainment and public benefit.
It was through the clever marketing activities of the gambling industry and the inaction of the provincial government that a culture of gambling was established in Alberta. The government never properly assessed the social cost of legalized gambling before enthusiastically expanding it. Also the government never adequately consulted with the people of Alberta as to whether or not they wanted legalized gambling on such a large scale.
The Social Cost of Legalized Gambling
Dr. David Korn's research at the University of Toronto concludes that 15% of Canadians do not gamble, 80% gamble and experience either no difficulties or experience mild to moderate problems while the remaining 5% suffer severe problems. This continuum is similar to AADAC's analysis of the gambling population of Alberta, which classifies 5.2% of gamblers as experiencing serious difficulties. The same AADAC research reveals, however, that those who play VLT's experience much higher incidence of difficulties with 21.8% of VLT players reporting severe problems. Sources with Gamblers Anonymous report that 80% of new attendees report VLT's as their major problem. AADAC's gambling hotline also reports a similarly high percentage of those seeking help self-identifying as having problems with VLT's (50%).
The severe problems that result from gambling are obviously caused by the loss of significant amounts of money and the resulting anxiety, family stress, and inner conflict these losses create. A 2002 study by the Alberta Gaming Research Institute using the Canadian Problem Gambling Index determined that gamblers experiencing severe problems were losing on average $700 per month. If the average loss is $700 this means that half of these problem gamblers are losing more, some much more, than $700 per month.
The impact created by losing $700 and more per month varies with a person's income. For a person on welfare or receiving AISH or a person on modest means supporting a family losing this much money month after month will have a profound impact on their family's welfare. The poor who experience such ongoing losses pay a severe price. The Vanier Institute on the Family similarly estimates that "4% of the population with a serious gambling problem contributed 23% of the revenues."
Dr. Garry Smith and Dr. Harold Wyne produced an Alberta Gaming Research Institute study that describes problem gamblers as evenly divided male and female. 56% are between the ages of 30 to 50 years old. There is a disproportionate number from both the low and high income groups. Many are unemployed, working part-time, retired or homemakers and often suffer from other addictions. The Vanier Institute reports that the personal cost of pathological gambling can include "bankruptcy, family break up, domestic abuse, assault, fraud, theft, homelessness and even suicide . . . up to 90% of pathological gamblers have considered suicide and 20% of those in treatment actually attempted it." The Canada Safety Council in a September 2006 report entitled "Canadian Roulette" concluded that suicide attempts are more common with pathological gamblers than with any other forms of addiction and additionally noted that gambling is a factor in 6.3% of suicides.
In summary, the population most severely affected by gambling constitutes a most vulnerable minority. This group of Albertans consistently loses large amounts of money. They are disproportionately poor. These people are not "gaming"; they are suffering.
Similar analysis yielding similar results for the social cost of gambling has been completed in the United States and Australia. It is well documented and not seriously disputed that a vulnerable minority will suffer when a legalized culture of gambling, particularly one that allows VLT's, is established.
What is only beginning to be documented is the effect that a gambling culture has on youth. Jeffrey L. Derevensky of McGill University concluded from research conducted in 2003/2004 that young people are especially susceptible to gambling addiction because it is the nature of youth to be attracted to risks. He concluded that in Canada, "4% - 8% of adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age gamble at a pathological level and another 10% - 15% are at risk of developing a serious problem." The risk to youth created by a gambling culture is even greater to youth than it is to adults.
Moral and Pastoral Reflections
Personal Morality
The Bible does not contain any direct references to the morality of gambling. When what appear to be gambling devices such as dice are mentioned in the Bible it is not in the context of placing bets but of making decisions. The Bible does not offer specific moral teaching on gambling.
In a similar way, the Catholic Church has traditionally not developed a moral teaching focused on gambling. The Church regards gambling as a neutral act best evaluated in reference to other moral factors such as the gambler's motives and the specific circumstances involved. Gambling is viewed as morally acceptable when it provides relaxation, community involvement, and an element of leisure or fun. The Church's moral approach to gambling is primarily to see that the requirements of justice and temperance are maintained. For example, if one cheats while gambling or wagers excessively then a moral issue is present.
The Catholic Catechism deals with gambling under the section dealing with the seventh commandment. It states:
2413. Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter; unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant.
The Catechism simply summarizes the Church's traditional morality of gambling. Catholics have generally only opposed gambling when it was obviously dishonest or hurt individuals or their families. That is why the Church in years past had no objections to community fund raising events such as raffles and bingos. They were viewed as leisure activities providing recreation, building community spirit and supporting a good cause.
Social Teaching
It is in the Church's social teaching, most clearly presented in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, (2005), where one discovers a developed moral perspective that places the human suffering created by the gambling industry into focus. The principles of social justice found in the Compendium that are the most applicable to understanding the moral challenge of legalized gambling are the following:
The Principle of Human Dignity - every human being is created by God and redeemed by Jesus Christ and worthy of respect.
The Principle of the Common Good - society to succeed must act to see that all its members are treated justly and not exploited or victimized as this will destroy necessary social harmony, and peace.
The Principle of Solidarity - structured injustices, unfair practices protected by law that harm the good of one's neighbor are to be opposed. Solidarity was described by Pope John Paul II as a "commitment to the good of one's neighbor with the readiness in the gospel sense to 'lose oneself' for the sake of the other instead of exploiting him and to 'serve him' instead of oppressing him for one's own advantage."(#193)
The Principle of Preferential Protection for the Poor and Vulnerable - Jesus' parable of the sheep and goats in the Gospel of St. Matthew, 25:31-46 illustrates the critical importance of a personal response to the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, and the poor. Preferential care and protection must be provided to those who in their poverty and need embody for Catholics the presence of Christ.
It is clear that legalized gambling in Alberta is in very sharp conflict with the Catholic social justice principles outlined above. The minority victimized by legalized gambling is treated with little respect. Their plight is ignored and for all practical purposes they are rendered invisible due to public indifference. Deriving massive gambling revenues disproportionately from the poor does not support the common good. The poor are not being adequately protected when we have solid statistical evidence as to how seriously they suffer in a gambling culture. Solidarity with the poor requires the Church to oppose the current excesses of legalized gambling in Alberta.
Conclusion
In Alberta, government revenue from gambling is collected by the Ministry of Gaming, and is distributed in two ways. The first is when the government disperses money through the Alberta Lottery Fund to what are termed "Payments to other Ministries." This means that the government gives additional financing to various ministries such as health, social services, and education by depositing gambling revenues into their operating budgets. In this case it is not practically possible for a hospital or a school board to sift out the revenues they receive that come from gambling and those that come from general taxation. No one who analyzes this situation is scandalized that Catholic schools, for example, accept such monies, as it is impossible to separate them from their ordinary funding.
It is the second way gambling revenue is dispersed that is problematic. In this case, a group formally requests recognition from the Ministry of Gaming in order to directly share in the proceeds of, for example, a casino. This means that Catholic institutions and organizations trying to achieve a good end, additional resources for children, are doing so by using clearly immoral means. They are making a clear choice to profit from gambling. This is scandalous and compromises the religious identity of the institution or organization.
In my judgment it is not morally possible to actively seek funds that one knows are derived from legalized gambling as it is currently operated in Alberta. Ignoring those victimized by gambling or even worse profiting from their suffering is foreign to the gospel. Because Catholic institutions and organizations are closely associated with the Church's mission to witness, to evangelize and to instruct, I am directing that, within a maximum of three years, Catholic parishes, schools, and other organizations cease to actively pursue revenues that are derived from gambling.
Secondly, I am requesting that the faithful of the Diocese of St. Paul consider:
Contacting your Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and ask him or her to:
Let you know if they share our concern that an injustice is being done to a vulnerable minority through legalized gambling.
Promote the establishment of an impartial and open public review of legalized gambling in order to see if the current and future benefits of gambling are not outweighed by their costs.
Substantially increase the quality and quantity of counseling resources available for problem gamblers.
Eliminate VLT's and video slot machines or at the very least limit their access to licensed casinos because they are by far the most destructive and addictive form of gambling.
Examine your own gambling behavior and resolve not to contribute to a culture of gambling. Be especially conscious of the example you set for your children.
I have written this letter after much thought and prayer solely because the issue is so serious. Church institutions cannot accept monies derived from the well-documented suffering of a vulnerable minority without compromising their mission and endangering their socially prophetic role. I am counting on your faithful response in this matter in order to insure that our institutions and organizations are free to work for justice and to witness to the gospel.
... Luc Bouchard
Bishop of St. Paul
Ash Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Useful Resources
Alberta Catholic Bishops, "The False Eden of Gambling," (January 12, 1998).
Canada Safety Council, "Canadian Roulette" (Internet resource: www. safety-council.org, 2005)
Henry, Bishop Frederick, "Decision Time: on Gambling and Schools," (Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary, June 20, 2006) (internet resource: www.rcdiocese-calgary.ab.ca )
Moscovitch, Arlene "Gambling with our (Kids') Futures: Gambling as a Family Policy Issue," (Vanier Institute of the Family, Ottawa, 2006)
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, (Ottawa: Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005)
Wynne, Harold J. "Gambling on the Edge in Alberta" (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Gambling, the Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues, issue 1, 2000)
Smith, Garry J. and Wynne Harold J. VLT Gambling in Alberta: Final Report (Alberta Gaming Research Institute, 2004)
Alberta Gaming Research Institute: (University of Alberta)
"From Summer Midways to Casinos and Slot Machines" Vol.1, issue 1, November 2001
"From Vice to Popular Pastime: A History of Gambling in Alberta" Vol. 3, issue 1 November 2003
"Public Policy Implications of Gambling Research" Volume 4, issue 2, January 2005
"Best Practices for Determining the Socio-Economic Effects of Gambling Emerge at Institutes Fifth Annual Conference" Volume 5, issue 5, July 2006
Journal of Gambling Issues, (internet resource, www.camh.net/egambling)
Horbay, Roger "How Do Slot Machines and Other Electronic Gambling Machines Actually Work?" Issue 11, July 2004
Grant, Jon "The Neurobiology of Pathological Gambling" Issue 15, December 2005
Korn, David "A Public Health Perspective" Issue 15, December 2005
Messerlian, Carmen and Derevensky, Jeffrey "Youth Gambling: a public health perspective" Issue 15, September 2005
BISHOPS' PASTORAL LETTER ON THE GARDISIL VACCINE
A message from the Alberta Catholic Bishops to parents, trustees, superintendents of education of Catholic school boards and to the Catholic educational community
In June 2008, the Government of Alberta announced the introduction of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine into the publicly-funded immunization program. This means that female students entering Grade 5 classrooms in September in our school system will be offered the vaccine. Beginning in September 2009, Grade 9 girls will also be eligible for a three-year period.
We affirm that parents are the primary decision-makers for health care matters for their children, so that the decision regarding the use of the Gardasil vaccine is a parental, not an Alberta government, responsibility. This is a voluntary program and parents have the final decision on whether their daughters will be vaccinated.
We encourage parents to keep in mind some important considerations.
First of all, HPV infection is common - 70 per cent of adults will have HPV at some point in their lives. The infection often clears on its own within two years. For some, however, the infection can become chronic, leading to cervical changes, and possibility cancer.
The sexually transmitted human papilloma virus is not a contagious disease like measles, mumps or rubella. HPV or other sexually transmitted diseases can occur only through sexual activity.
Catholic teaching recognizes that the gift of sexual intercourse belongs to the covenanted relationship of marriage. It is important that young people be educated about sexuality and sex, as well as learning about sexually transmitted diseases.
So-called "casual" or "recreational" sexual activity carries with it profound risks to a young person's spiritual, emotional, moral and physical health. We note that, at best, a vaccine can only be potentially effective against one of these risks, that to physical health, and may have other unintended and unwanted consequences.
Our youth are relentlessly bombarded with sexual messages and imagery.
Sexuality is a great and powerful gift. Outside of marriage, abstinence is not only clearly the choice that leads to spiritual and moral well-being, but it is obviously the best protection against risks of disease.
Parents, physicians, educators and governing bodies should adopt a health-oriented approach that addresses sexual attitudes and behaviours recommending delayed genital sexual activity.
Parents must take responsibility for playing a role in the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Parents need to promote ongoing dialogue with their pre-teen and teenage offspring about relationships and sexuality. Through teaching, active monitoring of social and other activities, and giving overt guidance regarding appropriate and safe dating relationships,ÿthey need to protect their children from counterproductive influences and potential abuse.
Our youth are relentlessly bombarded with sexual messages and imagery in media, entertainment, advertising and some types of music. Although it is difficult to objectively quantify the full impact of sexual imagery, we are all aware of the impact of popular culture on both behaviour and self-image.
We need to move beyond a societal preoccupation with appearance, image and measuring up to an artificially created supposed ideal; teach critical thinking skills; provide factual information andÿguidelines as needed; and teach right from wrong.
Secondly, although school-based immunization delivery systems generally result in high numbers of students completing immunization, a school-based approach to vaccination sends a message that early sexual intercourse is allowed, as long as one uses "protection."
This societal message also implies that young people are not capable of making decisions for themselves or they are too young to make good decisions. We think more highly of our youth and would prefer to equip them for proper decision-making.
Thirdly,ÿthere is no consensus among those involved in public health in Canada that HPV vaccination is the most prudent strategy in terms of allocating health care resources to address the goal of preventing deaths resulting from cervical cancer. Further research is required.
We encourage parents to learn the medical facts concerning this vaccination and possible side effects. The best interests of children demand that parents and guardians be fully informed before granting consent. Good information on both the relative effectiveness and the considerable limitations of Gardasil is available on a number of websites, e.g. Health Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Richard W. Smith
Archbishop of Edmonton
Most Reverend David Motiuk
Bishop of Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton
Most Reverend Frederick B. Henry
Bishop of Calgary
Most Reverend Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R
Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan
Most Reverend Luc Bouchard
Bishop of Saint-Paul
Most Reverend Murray Chatlain
Bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith
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