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Friday 24 September 2021

“We are heartened to see that the provincial government has not required proof of vaccination to enter a place of worship.” Thomas Cardinal Collins

“We are heartened to see that the provincial government has not required proof of vaccination to enter a place of worship." So states Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto.

Why would that be Tom?

Because you agreed to coerce your clergy and staff to get the jab in exchange for keeping open the churches?

A little quid pro quo? Come on Tom, you remember your Latin a little this for that, eh Tommy?

What a legacy. 

Tom, do tell us how much that renovation of the Newman Centre as your retirement home is costing us. It's a shame you know, you could have provided free rapid tests to staff in parishes rather than force them to dish out $80 a week because you don't trust them to be honest.

It sounds to me like one of the sins that cries out to heaven for justice, "denying the labourer of their just wage" in order to enrich a corporate monolith like Shoppers Drug Mart and pleasing the new State Church.

What a legacy.



From: MacCarthy, Neil <neilm@archtoronto.org> on behalf of Office of Public Relations & Communications <communications@archtoronto.org>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2021 1:31:27 PM
To: Office of Public Relations & Communications <communications@archtoronto.org>
Subject: Important Communication from Cardinal Collins and Covid-19 Vaccination Policy - Archdiocese of Toronto

September 24, 2021

To all clergy and staff of the Archdiocese of Toronto,

I wish to extend my ongoing gratitude to all of you as I know that the last 18 months have been challenging both personally and pastorally. I continue to keep you all close in prayer.

I recognize that the restrictions we have all faced and continue to experience are frustrating and, at times, have been the cause of anxiety and division. There is a tension in our country that is palpable and we continue to pray for the day that we may return to daily life without the restrictions that remain in place, especially those that impede our ability to welcome full and active participation in our sacramental celebrations.

We also acknowledge that we are still navigating an unpredictable global pandemic and these restrictions, while frustrating, remind us of the call to love and care for our neighbour as ourselves.

Organizations, businesses and institutions throughout the province have been asked to implement a vaccination policy. Enclosed you will find our policies for staff, volunteers and clergy. I wish to highlight some key points for reflection:

· I very strongly urge every Catholic to become fully vaccinated, though we will make every effort to ensure places of worship remain open and accessible to all, regardless of vaccination status. The church should serve as a respite, a sanctuary of peace, prayer and welcome. We are heartened to see that the provincial government has not required proof of vaccination to enter a place of worship.

We must also maintain a safe working environment. Clergy, staff and volunteers have the greatest person-to-person interaction in parish/office settings and thus, a heightened risk for transmission of Covid-19. To ensure a safe workplace and to welcome the faithful with an additional level of health and safety, on a temporary basis, we are asking that clergy, staff and volunteers be fully vaccinated or be subject to regular rapid tests.

Regarding vaccination against Covid-19, the direction of the Holy Father, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and my own communication has been to ask people to be vaccinated to minimize the potential transmission of Covid-19. The congregation states that this must be done freely and also reminds us that “the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good.”

As we reflect on pursuing the common good and care for one another, I would like to communicate directly to our clergy (bishops, priests, deacons) as well as religious men and women and seminarians serving in ministry in the archdiocese:

I urge those that have not been fully vaccinated to do so as soon as possible.

Due to requirements from the provincial government and organizational policies in many institutions, your ability to serve the faithful will be significantly impeded should you choose not to be vaccinated. This will restrict your ministry in schools, hospitals, long-term care homes and other settings requiring full vaccination. We know that these visits and your ongoing pastoral care in these settings are important aspects of your ministry.

Many of you are living in community with others, including those who may be elderly or with more significant health challenges. Staff or volunteers in the rectory or office may also be at greater risk depending on their circumstances. In short, we have a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for staff and volunteers. Vaccination remains the best defence against infection for oneself or others. Should you choose not to be vaccinated, regular weekly rapid tests (as outlined in the policy) will be required.

One fact is abundantly clear: most of the new Covid-19 infections, by far, are among those who are not vaccinated. It is quite understandable that for this reason the provincial government has made it clear that any reduction of restrictions will depend on a greater percentage of the population being fully vaccinated. We have also seen, in recent days, a significant surge in new cases and deaths, particularly in Alberta. Intensive care units have been overwhelmed and new restrictions have been instituted, including those affecting places of worship. I pray that we will not experience this situation in Ontario. We must get beyond this pandemic, which has directly and indirectly caused such misery for so many, and has impeded our life as a Christian community. The single best way to do that is for people to get vaccinated.

Most importantly, I care deeply about each one of you and all those who serve the church. I do not want you to contract Covid-19 or transmit it to others, especially in the midst of one of the most serious health care crises of our lifetime. I recognize that some of you may have concerns regarding vaccination. If this is the case, please speak to your doctor or, if you have ethical concerns, refer to information available from the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute or contact them directly. Specific questions on the policy can also be directed to your Regional Bishop, the Chancellor of Spiritual Affairs or Human Resources.

Once again, I am grateful for all that you continue to do and I know that you share my fervent desire to return to a restriction free environment as soon as possible. I ask for your co-operation as we implement the vaccination policy in the coming days. I pray that we may serve faithfully and lovingly, caring for all those we encounter.

May you continue to be blessed with good health and be assured of my prayers for you and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Sincerely in Christ,

Thomas Cardinal Collins
Archbishop of Toronto








 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

For the love of all that is holy, please, men of the church, do your job, and leave this Covid madness behind. Fulfill the responsibilities and privilege that God has put on your shoulders, to provide for His children the sacraments they need to get through this life, and the Holy Mass so His children can give Him proper worship. The world is in pain, suffering so greatly because the men responsible for feeding the sheep have abandoned their post and have left the sheep unattended. The wolves devour them and there is no shepherd to guide them away from danger. Where are the men after God's heart! Where are the men of the church who put salvation of souls ahead of the material world, who boldly reject the materialistic climate of fear that is being sown across the world into the hearts of the people, who should fear God and not an overblown flu?
Men of the church, you fail God and you fail the people, if you continue on this path. Open your churches, stop your demands, give the people the sacraments. You have allowed the church to be called non-essential. You need to repent. You have allowed the people to perish without the sacraments they so desired. You have left them alone in their hospital beds or lonely at home, with no one to comfort them as they passed from this world to the next. Your responsibility for this is immeasurable. You will feel it in the next world, every single bit of misery you could have erased but did not, God have mercy on you. It is late. The people have lost confidence in you. You underestimate how bitter feelings have grown. The people needed you and you...were...not...there. You need to realize the hour is late and reverse course. End the Covid mania that grips the world. Reject the pressure of the world to capitulate to the powers that be. Turn it around, while you still can.
God be with you.

Anonymous said...

https://www.expandingawarenessrelations.com/are-the-vaccines-affecting-our-spirituality-there-may-be-more-to-it-than-we-think/

Anonymous said...

Do you have a link to the policy Cardinal Collins refers to?

Jonah said...

Fun fact: Shoppers Drug Mart is owned by the Trudeau-sponsoring Bronfman family

https://larouchepub.com/eiw/public/1992/eirv19n27-19920701/eirv19n27-19920701_019-the_bronfmans_rags_to_rackets_to.pdf

Who do you think is behind the scamdemic?

Johnno said...

Italy is now completely under the Mark of the Beast. All with the Anti-Pope’s blessings. Where is all of Frankie’s rhetoric for the poor and the unemployed now??? People in Italy are now literally working for free! The government that can’t force them to be fired is forcing companies to withold salary!
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/italy-orders-companies-not-pay-unvaccinated-workers

At this point, violence is a moral duty. It is now literally self defence, the same as you would use to stop a thief.

M. Prodigal said...

Don't these frightened church men know that the disease is 99% survivable (the shots may have a larger percentage of death and injury)? Why isn't the care of souls the first priority? One might wonder if they have any supernatural faith at all.