Quebec Life Coalition

Campagne Québec-Vie (also known as Quebec Life Coalition), the Quebec division of national pro-life group Campaign Life Coalition, will be presenting a 400-signature petition demanding a « top to bottom » reform of the catholic organisation Development and Peace (D&P)to the bishops assembled for their annual meeting beginning on October 17 in Cornwall, ON.

Development and Peace, an organisation established by the bishops of Canada in 1967 to help the poor of the Third World, has been accused by pro-life and pro-family groups of funding pro-abortion, pro-contraception and homosexualist organisations. The bishops of Canada have of late created a standing committee to oversee D&P’s work.

The petition demands a « reform » of Development and Peace, asserting that « Development and Peace funds agencies in the developing world – in Mexico, Latin America, and Africa— that promote abortion, contraception, and ideologies that run counter to the teachings of the Catholic Church » and expresses a fear that « only the tip of the iceberg has been exposed ». The petition concludes with a demand that the bishops of Canada « review from top to bottom the mandate and the organisation of D&P, so that D&P may accomplish its task of mercy and justice on behalf of the poor in light of ALL the teachings of the Church, particularly those concerned with the sacred character of human life and procreation. »

An online version of the petition may be found here.

Campagne Québec-Vie president Georges Buscemi, who will be delivering the petition in Cornwall this Monday, remains optimistic about finding a solution to the problems plaguing Development and Peace. « The answer » he believes « is found in pope Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical Caritas in Veritate, which states that ‘openness to life is at the centre of true development’ (section 28)» Buscemi believes that « this is a perfect statement to guide the reform of Development and Peace » and that « if Development and Peace wants to truly help the Third World develop, they should be promoting respect for life and openness to life in the Third World, especially when we consider how secular NGOs are showering the Third World with pro-abortion propaganda and condoms, to the detriment of Third World nations and cultures. »

Campagne Québec-Vie’s French language page dedicated to the Development and Peace affair can be found here.