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Catholic communities return Order of Canada medals
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by Rob Peters | July 8, 2008 at 08:54 am
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Two Order of Canada medals have already been returned since abortion-rights activist Henry Morgentaler received his just over a week ago. Both medal denyers are Catholics who oppose Dr. Morgentaler's pro-abortion work.
The medals represent the highest Canadian honour and are awarded for lifetime contributions to Canada.
Representatives of Madonna House, a Catholic lay community in Combermere, Ont., will today return the Order of Canada medal awarded to their founder to protest against the appointment of abortion-rights crusader Henry Morgentaler.
It will be the second medal that has been returned by those opposed to the doctor, who was made a member of the order on Canada Day. Father Lucien Larré, a Catholic priest in Coquitlam, B.C., who was named to the order 25 years ago, shipped his award back to Ottawa saying that granting the country's highest civilian honour to Dr. Morgentaler "degrades" it.
Catherine Doherty, founder of Madonna House in the community east of Ottawa, was named to the order 32 years ago for her service to the underprivileged. She died in 1985, but had written a letter telling staff that the medal belonged to all of them, said Susanne Stubbs, one of three directors.
Ms. Stubbs said yesterday that staff voted unanimously to return the honour.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 10:09 on July 8th, 2008
Yet again, this is another example of how Caholics can be hypocrites. On the one hand, they try to preach forgiveness and on the other hand they themselves cannot forgive. I don't know how many Catholic women have needed the services of Dr. Morgentaler at some point in their lives. Returning those medals is just a testament to how immature, and self-righteous those who are opposed to the doctor can be and these are the types of people who you will find in front of his clinic with a gun in their hand ready to shoot his head off and all those who needed him. I am strongly opposed to individuals who judge others before they even judge themselves. I had an opportunity to listen to a documentary on Dr. Morgentaler's life and I would be honoured to know this man any day and he more than deserves to be recognized for his work. If I ever needed forgiveness and approached Father Lucien Larré with my problem, he would have me stoned!
at 17:26 on July 8th, 2008
Dear Annonymous,
Thank you for your opinion. It is your right to have one and to express it. I have one too. But, unfortunately (according to you) I am a Catholic and that automatically makes me a hypocrite and probably one with a loaded gun for Dr.Morgentaler. Yet I do not call you a hypocrite for your opinion. I do not accuse you of standing in front of my church with a gun in your hand ready to shoot my head off. You don't even know me. We are two people with differing opinions about something we both take very seriously. I am almost 80 years old and have seen a lot history along the way so I do not consider myself to be immature -- maybe a little naive but not immature. Nor do I attend to the neurosis of self righteousness. I, like you, have standards with which I make up my mind and form my conscience. Those standards not only make it impossible for me to include Dr. Morgentaler as deserging of the Order of Canada but they also forbid me to call you, a complete stranger, a hypocrite and self righteous. It is obvious we have different opinioins. It looks like we also have diffrerent standards. And that worries me more than whether or not Dr. Mrgentaler does or does not receive the Order of Canda.
at 10:45 on July 8th, 2008
I think it's rather childish, too. "If he can have one, then I don't want it!!"
at 17:44 on July 8th, 2008
Mr.Peters,
If you would go online and read the names of those who have received this high honor, you would see that it is not at all a matter of "if you can have one then I don't want it" but it is about the measure by which the Committee from the beginning has decided who can be called to this honor. NEVER, in the history of the over 5000 honors has anyone EVER been recommended who was a source of disunity in Canada. And NEVER has anyone EVER been recommended for whom the committee did not agree 100%. Neither of those two criteria were present at the recommendation and installation of Dr. Morgentaler. Now that the door is open don't be surprised that one day soon even YOU might be writing in to voice your opinioin AGAINST someone who does not show forth the kind of "honor" you think ought to be part of the decision to give them the Order of Canada. Of course I'm sure you would expect of me, a "so-called Christian" to be forgiving and understanding of YOUR opinion at that time even though you are not understanding of mine. I guess it all depends on when and who is being childish.
Paul McKale