OTTAWA—The Canadian bishops’ organization dedicated to promoting respect for human life and family will wrap up operations at the end of the year, to be replaced by a new bishops standing committee taking on much of the same work.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the non-profit Catholic Organization for Life and Family, a creation of the bishops and the Knights of Columbus, will be replaced by a new office and standing committee for family and life.
The decision to fold COLF was made at the bishops’ recent plenary meeting and at an online meeting Nov. 7 the COLF board of directors passed a special resolution that will see the organization disband as a non-profit organization as of Dec. 31.
COLF executive director Michel MacDonald told Canadian Catholic News that the decision to cease operations had nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic nor is it a cost-saving measure.
He and the sole other COLF staff member will be laid off. COLF’s office is based at the CCCB’s Ottawa headquarters.
Although the exact details of the CCCB’s plans have not been made public, CCCB communications director Lisa Gall said the new life and family office should be up and running in the new year.
“While the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops cannot speak on behalf of the Canadian Organization for Life and Family, a national priority for the conference is the pastoral need to accompany and work with diocesan/eparchial life and family networks in response to the changing realities of Canadian society,” Gall said in a statement to the Canadian Catholic News.
According to COLF’s website, the organization’s role has been to “promote the teaching of the Catholic Church on the inherent dignity of the human person and on respect for human life in all circumstances and at all stages of development, from conception to natural death; to promote the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage and the family, along with the fundamental role of the family in society; and to educate and support Christian families in their mission in the Church and in the world.”