Category: BC Catholic

When engaging with a work of historical fiction, no matter the medium, one should avoid taking fact for fiction and fiction for fact. Rather, one needs to focus on how artistically satisfying the approach is and on the validity of the themes conveyed.

This was certainly the case with the recent production of Franklinland, presented at the Arts Club’s Granville Island Stage.

Based on the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate (but happily raised) son, William, the Canadian play largely consists of a series of purported conversations between Benjamin and William.

As such, it makes a number of references to historical fact. Thus, we got Franklin’s famous kite experiment proving that lightning is electricity, the Franklin stove, and Franklin’s extensive trips to London and Paris as a scientist and diplomat. More importantly, we saw the ultimate conflict of the play: Franklin’s vital and pivotal promotion of the cause of American independence versus William’s espousal of loyalty to the British Crown, including his acceptance of the role of Governor of New Jersey. This did, indeed, cause a significant rupture in the relationship between father and son.

What seemed to be a complete invention was the idea of Franklinland—an area of Nova Scotia which, according to the play, was a tract of land owned by Franklin, where he toyed with the idea of setting up a non‑political, neutral colony—presumably a kind of utopia where political differences could be relegated entirely to the realm of philosophical debate.

I say it is a “complete invention,” but I am willing to be corrected here, as my knowledge of Franklin is based on my high school studies of American history, largely framed by Charles and Mary Beard, my recollection of Walter Isaacson’s highly readable biography, and the PBS documentary of his life. As far as I can recall, Franklinland did not exist, though the ongoing tension between father and son did last up to the elder Franklin’s death.

What was certainly wildly inaccurate was the portrait of Franklin the man. In the play he was shown as arrogant, vain, condescending, self‑centred, and at times something of a boor. All this is in complete contradiction to everything that is reported of the man—a man universally loved and revered.

So, if we cannot turn to the play for historicity, what could we get from it artistically and thematically?

In its 80‑minute running time, the play was entertaining, with a number of comic touches, an interesting portrait of the growth in confidence of the character William, and, ultimately, an engaging debate about pragmatism versus idealism.

It was the sort of play that invited one to attend, go for a late dinner, and discuss ideas until the wine bottles were empty.

The Acts of the Apostles was written by St. Luke as a direct continuation of his Gospel. The book was composed by a physician (cf. Colossians 4:14), and everything in it is medicine for the soul.

As noted by Theophylact of Ohrid, a major focus of Acts is the missionary work of Paul the Apostle. Since the book was written by Paul’s close companion, Luke the Evangelist, it reflects what Luke witnessed and recorded as most necessary for believers.

Theophylact (11th–12th century) was a Byzantine archbishop and biblical commentator best known for his clear and faithful explanations of Scripture, especially the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Writing in the tradition of the Greek Fathers, such as John Chrysostom, he presents orthodox teaching in a pastoral and accessible way.

Theophylact highlights the apostles’ “condescension” (adaptability)—their Spirit-guided ability to present the faith gradually and appropriately to different audiences. Rather than immediately teaching Christ’s full divinity, they first emphasized his human life, suffering, resurrection, and ascension, since belief in the resurrection was the essential foundation. Once this was accepted, deeper doctrines could follow.

This gradual approach was necessary because both Jews and pagans would have struggled to accept Christ’s full divinity all at once, especially after the scandal of the Crucifixion. Even the disciples themselves had difficulty grasping higher teachings.

St. Luke begins the Acts of the Apostles with the statement: “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). Theophylact comments: “This refers to both His miracles and His teachings. Moreover, it highlights that He taught by doing, not merely instructing others to act while refraining Himself. By what He did, He urged others to imitate Him and pursue virtue.”

For 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples, teaching them about the Kingdom of God. The number 40 recalls Moses on Sinai receiving the law, Israel’s journey toward the Promised Land, and Jesus Himself spending 40 days in the desert before his public ministry. Each of these was a period of preparation for something greater. These 40 days were the apostles’ preparation for Pentecost.

Jesus commanded the apostles to remain in Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit, preparing them before sending them out—just as soldiers are equipped before battle.

The apostles’ question in verse 6—“Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”—is deeply human. Even after the Resurrection, they still expected a political or national restoration of Israel.

Christ gently redirected them. Rather than speculating about times and dates, they were to focus on their mission. He promised that they would receive power and become His witnesses to the ends of the earth, revealing the universal scope of the Gospel.

Second Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading: Acts 4:32–35
Second Reading: 1 Jn 5:1–6
Gospel Reading: Jn 20:19–31

This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary defines “mercy” as “the disposition to be kind and forgiving.”

Mercy is “founded on compassion,” but compassion is “the feeling of sympathy,” whereas mercy is “putting this feeling into practice with a readiness to assist.” Mercy is “therefore the ready willingness to help anyone in need, especially in need of pardon or reconciliation.”

The night before Jesus died, he said he was shedding his blood “in behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” The evening of his resurrection, he came through locked doors to give his apostles the power to forgive sins in his name. A week later, he identified himself to Thomas by the wounds he had suffered for our forgiveness.

What Jesus “most wanted to give his Church was mercy for sins,” says Cardinal Timothy Dolan: to “share with his priests the power to absolve them.”

The only unforgivable sin is to refuse that mercy, Pope St. John Paul II explained. It is “the sin committed by the person who claims to have a ‘right’ to persist in evil—in any sin at all—and who thus rejects redemption.”

In such a person, the Holy Spirit, who must “convince us of our sin” before we can be forgiven, encounters what the Bible calls “hardness of heart”: a state of “spiritual ruin.” If it persists to the end, God cannot forgive us, for he respects our free will.

However, those of us who do accept God’s mercy can be guilty of another sin: presumption. We acknowledge that sin is offensive to God, but we presume that, of course, he will forgive the sins we commit—those that the world, the flesh, and the devil have taught us to consider “normal” or “natural.”

The truth is that (1) all sins offend God, whether we think them acceptable or find them abhorrent, and (2) God offers mercy to all sinners without exception.

It is the Church’s difficult task to keep both these facts before our minds.

For example, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church she says that “divorce is a grave offence against the natural law” and that a spouse who contracts “a new union” enters “a situation of public and permanent adultery.”

However, she adds that “toward Christians who live in this situation, and who often keep the faith and desire to bring up their children in a Christian manner, priests and the whole community must manifest an attentive solicitude, so that they do not consider themselves separated from the Church, in whose life they can and must participate as baptized persons.”

‘Death does not have the final word’

From Archbishop Richard W. Smith

April 5, 2026

The Resurrection of the Lord

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Today the Church rejoices, for Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death. The Resurrection of the Lord is the heart of our faith and the source of our hope.

The joy of Easter does not ignore the reality of suffering in our world. We know well the weight of grief, anxiety, violence, and loss. Yet the Resurrection speaks a truth the world needs to hear: death does not have the final word.

This does not remove the trials we face in this life. But it does mean that sorrow is not final, darkness is not ultimate, and death is not the end. The risen Lord draws near to us and speaks His peace to our hearts. He reminds us that He is with us, that He is faithful, and that nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love.

My prayer for you this Easter is that the truth of the Resurrection will take deeper root in your hearts. If you are carrying burdens, may the risen Lord console you. If you are weary, may He strengthen you. If you are afraid, may He renew in you the confidence that comes from knowing He has triumphed over death.

May the peace of the risen Christ fill your hearts and homes this Easter.

Yours sincerely in Christ,
✠ Richard W. Smith
Archbishop of Vancouver

“Christ is risen! Death is conquered!”

From Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski of the Ukrainian Eparchy of New Westminster and the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of Canada

Given March 28, 2026

To the Reverend Fathers, Religious Sisters, Venerable Monastics, Seminarians, and Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!

Dearly Beloved in Christ!

As we approach the great feast of Easter, which our Catechism rightly describes as the “feast of feasts” (Christ Our Pascha, 559), we want to engage in joyful preparation. Yet, for many of us, the desire for the natural happiness of the season is clouded by the war in Ukraine, other looming conflicts, and the social and moral uncertainty within our own society.

At such a time, we may come to feel powerless, whether in our own personal lives or gathered with others in the society in which we presently find ourselves. We are somewhat like the Lord’s disciples at the time of the Passion, standing at a distance, confused and afraid, observing an unthinkable turn of events. Or we are like the Mother of God, the women, and John at the foot of the cross, standing helplessly and gazing upon the King of Kings, Who sacrifices all out of His love for us.

Sister Marilyn Kelly’s official obituary notice reported her death in Pembroke, Ont., on March 21, 2026, after 71 years of religious life in the Congregation of the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. It recounted her ministry in hospitals, schools, spiritual direction, and retreats, both in Ontario and briefly in Saskatchewan.

What was missing was a description of her time in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, where for 16 years she was a much-loved and appreciated figure who contributed greatly to the spiritual life of our local Church.

She came to Vancouver to launch the pastoral care program at the new Columbus Residence on West 69th Avenue. Her zeal, along with her devotion to the ideals of the foundress of her religious order, St. Marguerite Youville, and Knights of Columbus founder  Blessed Michael McGivney, quickly demonstrated a unique style of Catholic ministry to patients and staff alike.

Her legacy continues today at Columbus Residence, which boasts a Catholic chapel and a strong commitment to the Church.

Looking for a fresh challenge and encouraged by the availability of a worthy successor in Mary Crooks, a dedicated laywoman whom she mentored, Sister Marilyn rented a large house in Queensborough and opened a retreat centre. She took great pride in making it comfortable and warm.

Trained in spiritual direction, she offered private and group retreats and much-appreciated courses in prayer with lectio divina.

When the Queensborough house was no longer available, she relocated the retreat centre to the sixth floor of Youville Residence, which had been used to lodge patients and family from nearby hospitals until other Grey Sisters withdrew.

Without staff or significant budget, but with the help of many volunteers, she again created a home-like atmosphere and a rooftop patio.

Her apostolic works in the Archdiocese were characterized by a spirit of partnership with lay helpers—a practical necessity but much more than that as she formed a close bond with the volunteers, some of whom joined the Grey Sisters’ associate program (and one of whom briefly entered the community).

During her time in Vancouver, Sister Marilyn served as sponsor to Richard and Louisa Chau when the couple entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2010. She had the joy of seeing Richard ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese seven years later.

Knowing she needed to be closer to her community as she aged, Sister Marilyn returned to Ottawa in 2010.

Canada’s bishops told the Supreme Court of Canada that Quebec’s secularism legislation Bill 21 “denies the Divine,” going well beyond provincial jurisdiction by imposing an anti-religious ideology on the province.

The bishops were among more than 50 intervenors presenting arguments at a landmark Supreme Court of Canada hearing into the constitutionality of Quebec’s 2019 secularism law. The hearing, one of the longest in the court’s history, ran from March 23 to 26. The court reserved its decision, with a ruling expected later this year.

The secularism law, which lower courts have twice upheld, prohibits certain public employees — such as teachers and police officers — from wearing religious symbols while at work.

Toronto lawyer Phil Horgan, president and general counsel of the Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL), argued on behalf of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, summarizing a factum that argued the “purpose and effect” of Quebec’s legislation is to “amend Canada’s federal constitution by imposing an anti-religious, non-neutral ideology, which goes beyond Québec’s jurisdiction.”

Such a “drastic” change can only be made by the federal government using its authority over criminal law or its constitutional “peace, order and good government” powers, according to the bishops’ argument. 

Quebec pre-emptively invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it drafted Bill 21 to shield it from judicial review.

Federal and provincial governments can invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution to temporarily prevent courts from invalidating legislation as unconstitutional. 

The timing and impact of the use of Charter Section 33 became a significant issue during the four days of hearings and will likely be central in the court’s analysis, Horgan told The Catholic Register.

The appellants challenging Bill 21 include individual teachers directly affected by it as well as advocacy groups including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), and the Legal Committee of the Coalition Inclusion Québec. They argue Bill 21 is ultra vires, beyond the powers of provincial jurisdiction.

In a five-minute oral argument, Horgan told the seven justices that “Canada’s existing federal constitution is pluralist and pro-religion.” Although “the doctrine of state neutrality is well-established, Canada has never adopted laicity or an absolutist separation of church and state,” he said.

Justice Malcolm Rowe questioned Horgan on the point, asking, “Other than the reference to the supremacy of God in the preamble to the Charter, would you direct me to the provision in the Constitution which is pro-religion?”

Horgan cited Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867, which protects denominational school rights and privileges, and noted federal charity law recognizes religion as a public good.

Horgan said he wasn’t concerned by the pushback, noting judges often ask questions “not so much to get the answers from counsel, but to help … persuade other members of the bench on some of the merits of the argument.”

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will be beatified on Sept. 24 in St. Louis, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints announced March 25.

The beatification will take place in St. Louis, with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect for the Dicastery for Evangelization, presiding.

On Feb. 9, the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, had announced that the Vatican had given the green light for the beatification of Archbishop Sheen to move forward six years after the Holy See had postponed the beatification, initially scheduled for December 2019, only weeks before the event was to take place.

In a statement March 25, Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria said the beatification will take place at 2 p.m. CT at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.

“With anticipation of a great number of people wanting to participate, we chose this location because of availability, being indoors, and the close proximity to the Diocese of Peoria,” Bishop Tylka said.

Bishop Tylka added that a “number of events in Peoria” will be held “to celebrate this wonderful occasion.”

“This is a moment of immense grace for the Church — especially for us in the Diocese of Peoria, where Archbishop Sheen was born, ordained, and first served as a priest,” he added. “His life and ministry continue to inspire countless people to know and love Jesus Christ more deeply.”

“The Beatification Mass will be a profound moment of prayer and celebration for the faithful near and far,” Bishop Tylka said. “I invite all who have been touched by Archbishop Sheen’s life and legacy to join us in spirit or in person for this historic event.”

Msgr. Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies USA, received the news of the beatification date with “indescribable joy” and said he was “thrilled” Cardinal Tagle has been chosen “to be the papal legate, celebrant and preacher of the beatification Mass.”

Archbishop Sheen — who himself was national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (1950-66) — “is an inspiration not only to all of us who continue his work of prayer and support for the Church’s missionary work across the globe but for all those whose faith has been strengthened by his preaching, broadcasting, writing, and holy Catholic life,” Msgr. Landry said in a March 25 statement to OSV News.

“Cardinal Tagle, like Sheen,” he added, is “an incredibly gifted preacher, but he will no doubt be able to emphasize the contributions that soon to be Blessed Fulton Sheen made and in many ways continues to make to the Church’s mission work.”

In February, when it was announced Archbishop Sheen’s beatification would go forward, Bishop Tylka called the prelate “one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the Church and the world in the 20th century.”

As a series of controversial federal bills moves forward — from online regulation to hate speech law — so too are efforts to push back against them. But it is one measure in particular, the planned expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to include mental illness, where opposition has become increasingly organized.

Cloverdale—Langley City MP Tamara Jansen is leading the effort with Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act, which would prohibit MAiD where mental illness is the sole underlying condition.

With the federal expansion scheduled for March 17, 2027, Jansen warns that Canada is approaching “a line that should never be crossed” and is urging Parliament to act before the change takes effect.

Across the country, church leaders, advocacy groups, and medical professionals are reinforcing that push. The Archdiocese of Toronto’s Help Not Harm campaign is encouraging Catholics to contact their MPs in support of Bill C-218. Neil MacCarthy, the Archdiocese’s director of public relations and communications, appreciates how Canadian dioceses are amplifying this endeavour by prominently displaying the campaign on their websites.

“We welcome the visible solidarity shown by dioceses across Canada in support of the Help Not Harm campaign,” wrote MacCarthy. “This shared witness reflects a common concern for the dignity of every person, especially those who are most vulnerable.”

Nicole Scheidl, executive director of Canadian Physicians for Life, said the proposed expansion raises fundamental concerns about assessing mental illness.

“Most psychiatrists across the country are very much against this because someone who has a mental illness and has suicidality in their mental illness, how do you tease apart what’s part of the illness and what is a rational decision? It’s impossible,” she said.

Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said the timing is critical as the scheduled expansion draws near, noting that Bill C-218 will be coming to a vote fairly soon and that “there are many members of the government in the Toronto region.”

Meanwhile, Alberta recently introduced legislation that would bar such cases provincially and strengthen protections for health-care providers who refuse to participate. Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, introduced March 18, would prohibit assisted suicide for individuals with a mental illness as their sole underlying condition, bar minors and those without decision-making capacity, and prevent advance requests.

Juggernaut, behemoth, cable TV killer: all terms we could ascribe to one of the mainstays of the modern internet, YouTube.

As a term it acts both as a proper noun — describing a commercial entity — and as a verb — as in “YouTube this, YouTube that.”

Some may remember that in its very early days, after Google acquired the video startup, YouTube had a very odd-looking URL or domain, youtu.be, taking advantage of the internet country code for Belgium.

YouTube as a media property in 2026 is indeed a juggernaut. For many it is the sole video platform with which they engage, be it through a mobile device, a laptop, or a smart TV.

By some measures YouTube is the world’s largest media company, albeit as a subsidiary of Alphabet, the umbrella company that incorporates Google and a host of other business entities.

YouTube went live in April 2005 with a video entitled “Me at the zoo.” About a year and a half later Google acquired the service for the then-unheard-of, and widely panned, price of $1.65 billion. Money wasted on cat videos, said some pundits at the time.

According to data compiled by American business analytics firm MoffettNathanson Research, YouTube took in just over US$62 billion in revenue in 2025. That’s more than a billion dollars a week and more than Disney’s media empire earned, although only by about a billion or so dollars.

To throw a little Canadian spin on those numbers, that billion a week stacks up mightily against the total debt of one-time Canadian media giant Corus Entertainment, which has about CDN$1.5 billion in liabilities.

YouTube is a complex entity, no longer just a repository for cat videos and the like. Canada is insulated from its actual complexity in that we don’t have access to YouTube TV, its subscription service that provides television channels much like a typical cable TV plan. In addition there are sports packages under the NFL Sunday Ticket label.

Canadians do have access to YouTube Premium ($14/month for an individual, $23/month for up to six family members), essentially a way to bypass advertising breaks in videos. For some this has become their TV subscription in essence, eating away at the cable TV subscription model along with other streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. There is evidence that fewer than 60 per cent of Canadian households still maintain a cable service.

YouTube Premium also offers a yearly rate of $140 (basically two months free) and a student plan ($8/month). There is also a “limited” individual plan, called Premium Lite, at $8/month with what is described as “limited ad-free viewing, background playing, and downloads.”