CCCM recognized by
Canadian bishops
OTTAWA — Canadian Catholic
Campus Ministry was recently recognized by the Canadian Conference of
Catholic Bishops. The CCCB announcement stated, “being the competent
authority for granting national juridical status to an association of
the faithful, by this decree recognizes the association Canadian Catholic
Campus Ministry as a national private association of the faithful according
to the Code of Canon Law.” The decree was presented April 11 to
CCCM board chair Rev. Daniel Renaud, OMI, and national co-ordinator
Lori Neale.
The CCCM is now one of only
two national associations to be recognized as a private lay association
of the faithful by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The
Catholic Women’s League was recognized in 2005.
“We are honoured to
have been recognized in this way by the bishops,” remarked Renaud.
This status recognizes that CCCM has met the “fundamental criteria
of ecclesiality, as laid down in Christifideles laici, no.
30:
— the primacy given
to the call of every Christian to holiness;
— the responsibility
of professing the Catholic faith;
— the witness to a
solid and authentic communion;
— conformity to and
participation in the church’s apostolic goals;
— and a commitment
to a presence in human society.” (Recognition of National Catholic
Associations: Guidelines for the CCCB and Associations of the Faithful,
CCCB, 1993.)
This recognition gives a
boost to CCCM’s current efforts to promote thriving, comprehensive
and professional campus ministries across Canada. Just last month, CCCM
released the first ever Status Report on Catholic Campus Ministry, along
with key documents for comprehensive and professional campus ministry
— its Comprehensive Campus Ministry model, its Professional Standards
and Professional Code of Ethics. Together with the whole church, campus
ministry seeks to build one Body in Christ on campus. The comprehensive
model is a framework which can facilitate this collaboration.
The Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry is a national network of professional Catholic campus ministers grounded in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church and inspired by the vision of the Second Vatican Council. CCCM exists to bring the Gospel of Christ to the academic world. CCCM is supported by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops through an episcopal liaison, currently Bishop Fred Colli, and annual funding of the national co-ordinator position, established in 1948.
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