Ouellet bids goodbye to Quebec and Canada
By Deborah Gyapong
Canadian Catholic News
SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BEAUPRE, Que. (CCN) — Cardinal Marc Ouellet affirmed
his unqualified commitment to the Gospel as he bid farewell to the Quebec
archdiocese Aug. 15.
Yet, at his last public celebration
of the eucharist before departing to Rome, the new Prefect of the Congregation
for Bishops acknowledged some people may have been hurt by some of his
words in public debate or some of his pastoral decisions.
In recent months, Ouellet
has faced a wave of negative attacks in the news media for his forthright
stance in defence of human life from conception, even in cases of rape.
“The message of truth
is not always welcome; it is a suffering both for those who hear and
sometimes for the minister who explains it,” he told the 1,400
faithful who packed the basilica shrine to Saint Anne on the Feast of
the Assumption. “But God himself showed us that suffering can
be a source of life.
“Nevertheless, conscious
of my own weaknesses, I ask a pardon from God and from my brothers and
sisters for anything that I may have done to hurt them,” he said.
“May the God of mercy permit that we say goodbye in peace and
reconciliation.
“To our society in
search of its values, I hope to remind the Good News of the victory
of love over hate, the victory of grace over sin, and the victory of
life over death.”
Waves of applause and shouts
of acclamation during an extended standing ovation followed the cardinal’s
homily. Well-wishers thronged him as he greeted the sick, the elderly
and the handicapped in the shrine known for its miraculous healings.
About 30 bishops from across
Canada, Quebec Premier Jean Charest, Quebec Lt.-Gov. Pierre Duchesne,
Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and other dignitaries
came to the mass, which was concelebrated by Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte
of Montreal and Canada’s apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Pedro Lopez
Quintana.
Rimouski Archbishop Pierre-Andre
Fournier served under Ouellet for five years as auxiliary bishop.
“He was a very creative
man. He is so humble that he never mentioned a lot of things that he
has done,” Fournier said, citing care for the poor, the sick and
immigrants.
“He has given voice
to a lot of people who didn’t have voice in the society and in
the church,” he said. “He has helped Catholics to stand
up.”
While Ouellet is widely perceived
to have lacked support among his brother bishops in Quebec, Fournier
said he did have his support and that of others. “He was not a
lone ranger.”
Ouellet takes on a key role
in advising the pope on the nomination of bishops throughout the world.
“For Canada, it is
an honour,” said Sault Sainte Marie Auxiliary Bishop Noel Simard.
“It is a big responsibility in the church.”
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