Letters: B.C. Catholic pandemic coverage praised and blamed – The B.C. Catholic

Recently we passed another horrible milestone. Three million people worldwide have perished due to COVID-19, many dying a sad and lonely death without any family members around to comfort them. And all we can do is complain about the restrictions placed on us.

Our leaders and health officials are doing their utmost to destroy this silent, invisible, and brutal killer, or at least contain it, while at same time trying to keep the economy going. More often than not, their efforts are met with unfair criticisms.

Emotions are running high, but we Catholics should stop and think. Perhaps we should consider the childrens book, No Rules for Michael, in which children learn there are rules to protect them and guide them toward good behaviour and healthy relationships.

Think about the Israelites who were freed from bondage. Freedom from slavery did not give them the right to do whatever they pleased. They soon received the Ten Commandments. None of those commandments trampled on their human rights. Instead they showed a path to a good life, to think about others, and to practise the golden rule.

This essentially is what freedom means. It gives us the freedom to choose commitments, obligations, and to be considerate toward our neighbours. This is the kind of freedom that will truly bring out our humanity.

Leslie MichaelMaple Ridge

Please excuse my handwriting I am 90 years old, blind in one eye (cancer) and have macular degeneration in the other.

I refrained from writing before, but weve had months of negative letters, complaints, and grumblings, with the exception of Fathers Hawkswells and Hos weekly articles and occasionally others.

A recent letter criticized Maries letter of March 22. I am 90 too. I too have stayed home from church. We were told not to come out of common sense, not just fear.

We have the blessing of two 24-hour Catholic TV stations at a minimal charge. (Many of us cannot afford or use internet and computers.)

Jesus promised us persecution and suffering for him, yet the disciples of the early Church were joyful, hopeful, and loving. Where is that joy, faith, and love today?

We have been living in the western world for a long time with anti-Christianity. Read the history of Roman Catholics in England after the Reformation until 1827, and even since then they were viewed with suspicion. Look to the Soviet Union, China, parts of the Middle East, etc. to see real persecution.

Todays pandemic is unique deadly and even more infectious with variants. If others want to risk their lives, at least let those of us who choose not to the ability to do so. Let us set an example, however unjustly we may feel weve been treated. Let us show faith, hope, love, joy, and encouragement to others, especially our young people, many of whom who offer great kindness and help to us old folks.

Rosemary WhitteyNorth Vancouver

(More than one reader felt Marie was unfairly criticized by a follow-up letter. For the record, I thought the letter was compassionate and expressed concern for her, which is why it was published Editor)

I especially look forward to reading Paul Schratzs columns. They are a light of hope during this crazy time of misinformation.

Premier John Horgan has stated that churches are closed because they are not economic activity. Dr. Bonnie Henry initially said theres no evidence masks are effective and then suddenly they became effective. I am thankful that Mr. Schratz speaks the truth.

Joan DaviesCoquitlam

I would like to express my deep gratitude for your newsworthy and inspiring articles with fresh perspectives. Every week I look forward to receiving my favourite paper, The B.C. Catholic, in the mailbox. I am informed, inspired and challenged by your paper thank you for that!

In addition, I would like to thank you for articles like Brett Powells Jordan Peterson: a reluctant ring bearer in the April 19 issue.

Let me quote a sentence from this article, which in my mind could be a motto for a free and democratic society. (I hope we are still that society.) In order to think, you have to risk being offensive. In other words, to grapple well with the issues of our day in all their layered complexity you have to continually risk offending for the sake of pursuing the truth.

And Amen! to Powells words in the same article: I wish and pray to God that we could give each other that kind of space to process, think deeply, and dialogue through complex matters, instead of cancelling each other as soon as disagreement perceived or real surfaces.

In conclusion, my heartfelt congratulations to Paul Schratz, Agnieszka Ruck, and the whole B.C. Catholic staff for receiving the 2021 newspaper General Excellence Award. You deserve it!

PS. I hope those who write letters to the editor read the B.C. Catholics articles with at least as much attention as they devote to the daily news.

Elizabeth KrawczynskiDelta

(Thank you. Production Coordinator Inca Siojo rounds out the B.C. Catholic staff with her layout and design work Editor)

This is a quick note of thanks for featuring the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines milestone in The B.C. Catholic. The feedback from the Filipino community was overwhelming from being able to read about the celebrations in Vancouver, to sharing the history with younger generations and being recognized as an integral part of the faith community in Vancouver.

Salamat! Thank you!

Eric InigoBurnaby

(Watch for more coverage of the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines in The B.C. Catholic throughout the year Editor)

This morning it was announced in the news that scientists were successful in developing a viable embryo from a combination of human and monkey cells. What worthy purpose will it serve, and how can this discovery benefit mankind?

Gods creation is about diversity. He created a man and a woman separate from the animal, bird, and insect species. Only the former was endowed with a soul. What will be the future spiritual implications?

How soon will it be before the appearance of human hybrids, the types we see in science fiction movies? Some scientists say the deadly Ebola virus originated in infected monkeys and passed to humans. Now they are combining our cells?

In the construction of the Tower of Babel, man in his pride attempted to build it high enough to reach heaven. We know how God chastised them. Anything that interferes, opposes, and undermines Gods creation comes from Satan, that old serpent and father of lies.

The world is already experiencing Gods displeasure for having forsaken him and his laws. We have forgotten the supreme sacrifice Our Lord paid to redeem us all. He has been replaced with materialism and hedonism. We have surpassed Sodom and Gomorrah in depravity.

We are undergoing the third wave of this pandemic. Unless we mend our ways, we shall have a fourth one. Scientists should align their scientific discoveries to the needs and benefit of the world.

John BuenoNorth Vancouver

A recent letter asserted that biased reporting by some media on unfounded negative aspects of China plays a role in the escalating anti-Asian hate crimes. We must be careful in distinguishing two very separate and different issues.

While it is morally wrong to discriminate against any group of people because of their ethnicity, we must also know the importance of continued vigilance on a government such as the Peoples Republic of China.

It is not unfounded negative reporting, but provable fact, to say that China is committing genocide against the Uyghur people; or to say China illegally took over Tibet and is continuing to erase Tibetan culture and religion; or to assert that since 1997, China has slowly but steadily taken away civil liberties from the people of Hong Kong, climaxing in the rubber-stamping of the recent National Security Law, which makes any dissenting voice a threat to Chinese national security.

It is not inaccurate to say China is attempting to suppress and oppress Christianity and other organized religion, replacing God with the state. It is not inaccurate to say that groups such as Falun Gung practitioners have been imprisoned and their organs harvested for profits for the Chinese Communist Party. (For those interested in this subject, you can read the book Made in China or watch the documentary Letter from Masanjia, available in public libraries.)

Closer to home, it is not inaccurate reporting to say Canadians have been arrested and taken hostage by the Chinese government, when the idea of a fair and impartial trial is a foreign concept to Chinese authorities.

China is trying to use the recent upsurge of anti-Asian violence to divert attention from its crimes. Democratic governments, including our own, have been relatively mild in their responses to China and its belligerent behaviour on the world stage. We continue to trade with China, no doubt our eyesight having been clouded by the dollar bill covering our eyes.

As Catholics, we do not discriminate against anyone. Racism and bigotry, just like any evil, will always exist, and we must do our part to combat them. But as Catholics, we also have to be vocal when there is injustice. It is our duty, as Catholics, as Canadians, as citizens of a democratic society, to speak up and call on any government that violates the right of everyone to enjoy freedom and democracy.

Patrick MayVancouver

At Easter, Westside Church opposite the Vancouver Public Library held its services on the sidewalk. What a witness! It then occurred to me that our own outdoor services are great witnesses to those who are agnostic, unchurched, or normally do not attend church.

God has made sure we leave our churches and our comfort to witness to the world. What an unexpected benefit. Alleluia.

Margaretha SmitsVancouver

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Letters: B.C. Catholic pandemic coverage praised and blamed - The B.C. Catholic