Rex Murphy’s Jan. 24 article “The Liberals who brought us the Charter of Rights and Freedoms are now ignoring it” provided a brief overview of the history of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Liberal party’s pride of their role in it. The most interesting part of the article was where he said many Canadians are alright with the fact that the Charter is being violated so grievously during the pandemic.
As a family physician working since the pandemic began, I have a front row view of part of the medical aspect of the pandemic in Canada, but I would rather comment on the political aspects.

We went from “two weeks to flatten the curve” to “show me your papers” to get into a restaurant. Like many foreign-born Canadians my perspective on government is different because of my origin. There are many Canadians who come from communist China, the former Soviet Union, Eastern bloc countries, or, like me, from communist Vietnam. We fled from tyranny and came as refugees or immigrants to our adopted land of Canada.

We recognize what has happened in Canada so quickly in the past two years and are horrified by this development, given this is what our families fled from to come to Canada, a previously free country. 

A factor that I believe plays a role in the current majority acceptance of government overstep is the extreme fear that people have been living under, thinking the mortality rate of COVID is double digits when in fact it is less than 0.59 per cent for people below 70 years of age and between two and five per cent for those over 70.

The National Post last year revealed the Canadian military conducted psychological propaganda operations on the Canadian populace during the pandemic. Most native-born Canadians have never imagined the possibility that the government doesn’t have their best interest in mind and that the government can use one’s natural fear of death to leverage away basic rights and freedoms. 

Khai Phan
Vancouver
 

In her Dec. 20 article “Crowd offers candlelight Rosary in solidarity with Austria,” Patricia Casey wrote about “draconian lockdowns” being carried out in Austria. Well good for the Austrian government.

Does anyone wonder why the pandemic is lasting so long? Vaccinating everyone will shorten the misery.

If Ms. Casey and others want something more useful to pray about, they could pray that the Canadian government and those of other first-world countries share with countries in the global south the vaccines they have so greedily hoarded for their own people.

Penny Oyama
Burnaby

 

While I agree that under the circumstances more Masses for the vaccinated should have been provided, it seems to me that vaccination has been displacing baptism. Our God gave us an immune system and many believers having been exposed to the virus are now naturally immune and not wanting any more jabs. They are finding themselves excluded from society, including churches. 

Could the Church not deploy its unvaccinated priests to give Mass to unvaccinated believers? 

Alexander Wolfe-Murray
Burnaby

 

The decision to allow Masses only for the vaccinated was a crushing one for many Catholics and won’t take our parishes anywhere good. 

Fear, based on misinformation, has driven public health decisions and is now driving Catholics in the pews to ask for “protection” from the unvaccinated. This is deplorable in a Church that believes in science. We all need to accept the scientifically demonstrated truth: those who are unvaccinated are no more of a threat than the vaccinated. Only someone who is sick can transmit a disease, and these days, the vaccinated are getting sick and transmitting Covid as often as the unvaccinated.

Segregating congregations lends support to vaccine mandates, something the Church says is wrong. In December 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said: “Practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary.”

Mandates defy the idea of something being voluntary. Masses allowing only the unvaccinated are clear support for mandates.

Make no mistake, Dr. Bonnie Henry is pleased with a provision that sees Catholics segregated and turned against each other. It will make it easier to step in and require electronic passports for Mass. These “passports” are the end game for every situation of our lives ad infinitum.

The government must not control the Church. When this pandemic began, we were frightened into believing so many things we now know are incorrect. Now that we know better, we must speak up and demand our right to worship, together and unafraid.

Patricia Byrne Casey
North Vancouver

 

Unity in the Church is so important and while we are working so other Christian denominations will be one with us, divisions are being caused within our own Church. I refer to restrictions against the Traditional Latin Mass. 

The fact is that more young people are being attracted to the Traditional Latin Mass. The reasons they give are that is more reverent, there is a certain transcendence, and the Gregorian chant is wonderful. 

Of even greater importance is that the Church is steadily losing its role as a moral leader and guide in the world.

The Church belongs to Christ, and we must uphold his teaching on marriage, family, and life. We must listen to Christ before we listen to each other. 

There is so much talk about evangelization and we are being asked to proclaim the good news to others and ensure it will be handed down to future generations. I exhort all fellow Catholics to remember that we belong to Christ and his church and whatever happens in the future, we must uphold the teachings of Jesus with courage and boldness.

Doris Joseph
Vancouver


Building a new church and pilgrim destination reflects hope and joy for the potential spiritual impact of Whistler’s stunning surroundings.

Congregational members served in the construction of the existing church. Our Lady of the Mountains IS our Church of nearly 30 years, our sacred space; intentionally designed to promote inclusivity and openness to the entire Whistler community and serving as a beacon of hope open to all without distinction. The symbolism of ‘go upwards friend, go upwards’ is symbolically significant; however, to go outwards is more important, reminding us that ‘community’ makes church, not the structure.

To suggest that our church is not proper, not truly a sacred space, better to be replaced, is to flat line its purpose and meaning for those who laboured to make that dream come true. Here we have celebrated Mass, encountered God, received the sacraments, baptized new family members, witnessed weddings, held funerals, mourned the loss of loved ones, gathered for pot luck dinners, hosted multiple Bishops and welcomed the world of visitors every weekend. Our beautiful space, after 10 years of planning and fundraising, is the foundation of our parish community. Why do we need a new church? We are a divided community over that conclusion.

Jeanette Callahan and seven others
Whistler