A Canadian View: Black Lives Do Matter - by Jim Paddon

Bishop Mark Seitz and the Roman Catholic Clergy kneeling during a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

Reproduced unchanged from "A Canadian View: Black Lives Do Matter" first published in "famvin".

Jim Paddon lives in London, Ontario, Canada and is past president of the Ontario Regional Council of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. He is currently chair of the National Social Justice Committee of the Society in Canada.

Over 400 years ago Africans were captured and removed from their native lands, homes and families to be taken to the New World and reduced to objects that would assist their owners to have a profitable business and comfortable life for their families. This subjugation of another race which was founded on the principles of someone being inferior and subhuman simply because of their skin colour is one that continues to plague North America. The institution of slavery is one that attempted to rob those affected of their basic human dignity. As has been proven many times by courageous acts of defiance, no one can take away the God given gift of human dignity.

Hidden gems in "The Rule and Statutes"

The poor are our masters

1.1 Fundamental Principles

I think that one of the most spiritually under-rated of the books that belong to our Vincentian organisation is the one called, "THE RULE AND STATUTES of the SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL CANADA".

The Holy Spirit and three enemies of self-giving

This post draws on two articles reporting on the Pentecost Sunday homily of Pope Francis, one from the Jesuit publication,  America Magazine, and the other from Vatican News.

The Spirit, the living memory of the church

In his Pentecost Sunday homily, Pope Francis told Christians worldwide, “The Spirit, the living memory of the church, reminds us that we are born from a gift and that we grow by giving, not by holding on, but by giving of ourselves.”