LETTERS

US bishops may be overplaying their hand in health care debate

The Editor: In the June 23 editorial of the Prairie Messenger, Cardinal Francis of Chicago is quoted as saying, referring to the health debate in the US, “The bishops have to protect their role in governing the church.”

But in connection with this, and in the context of this health debate, Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla. is quoted as saying (NCR, June 16), “I’ve been associated in one way or another with the episcopal conference of the United States since 1972, (and) I have never before this year heard the theory that we enjoy the same primacy of respect for legislative interpretation as we do for interpretation of the moral law.”

So, is the US episcopal conference overplaying its hand in this debate, thereby becoming part of the problem? — Henk Gal, Calgary

Kung's open letter to bishops a significant contribution to discussion of difficult issues

The Editor: Am I missing something?

On April 16, Rev. Hans Küng, the world famous theologian and Catholic priest, published a letter in The New York Times that challenged all Catholics, lay and clerical, to take a good hard look at what is happening to the Catholic Church. Since then, I have seen two references to the letter in the PM. One was a response from the Vatican. The other was a reference by a local person. But I have not seen his letter in full.

The Prairie Messenger has an excellent record for printing not only the official word of the Catholic Church but also the viewpoints and observations of many others, Catholic and non-Catholic. In that way, Catholics and others are challenged to give serious thought to the many difficult issues that confront us today. The letter from Küng makes a significant contribution to that process. — John S. Burton, Regina

Editor's note: The text of Rev. Hans Kung's open letter to the world's bishops (April 2010) can be found in the PM's online edition this week.

Religious right attacked simply for practising their faith

The Editor: Since when is it politically correct to attack the so-called Religious Right for simply practicing their Christian faith? The most recent political move by what the author of the book The Armageddon Factor calls "Christian Right" in Ottawa was to offer women and children in poor countries positive aid in maternal and child care (to the exclusion of abortion, which aids no one).

The government was severely criticized by Opposition leaders as well as pro-abortion international representatives.

If such criticism is considered as “performing a significant public service” as stated by Dennis Gruending in his June 2 Pulpit & Politics column, not only will I not read The Armageddon Factor but I will no longer read Dennis Gruending's columns in the Prairie Messenger.

A book review of The Armageddon Factor by Paul Tuns, editor of The Interim, Canada's Life & Family Newspaper, offers an alternative view. — Margaret Angelstad, Humboldt, Sask.