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Church in the WorldAfghanistan divides Canadian ChurchesCanada Peter Kavanagh - 1 September 2007Catholic bishops have refused to sign a joint letter from Canada's Churches urging the Government to change the country's strategy on the war in Afghanistan, writes Peter Kavanagh. The bishops have declined to sign the open letter from the Canadian Council of Churches requesting that negotiations be opened up with Taliban forces and a broad shift from military action to development. Canada has nearly 3,000 troops in Afghanistan and has so far suffered the deaths of 69 soldiers and one diplomat since conflict broke out at the end of 2001. The split in the Council of Churches is reflected in the country as a whole, according to an opinion poll released last Monday. It shows that opinion is divided on whether the mission is a failure and on what to do next. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is one of nine Churches not to sign the Council's letter to the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. At the heart of the letter is a re-endorsement of the 2006 Afghanistan Compact which commits the Government of Afghanistan and the international community "to work towards conditions where the Afghan people can live in peace and security under the rule of law". The Catholic bishops complain that the Compact contains no meaningful peace plan. |
 In this week’s issueMaking markets moral Iron and velvet Love in a Catholic climate Someone to talk to A good Lent takes planning South American surprise Can the Church support abuse victims on its own terms? Elena Curti Is the Church too slow in recognising that academies are the future for Catholic schools? Christopher Lamb Goodwin the scapegoat Elena Curti The pain of being a coeliac Catholic Sr M, guest contributor The Church's moral obligation to victims of clerical sexual abuse Speeches from this week's conference in Rome This week in Rome bishops and religious superiors met at the first Vatican-backed symposium devoted to forging a global response to the crisis of clerical sexual abuse that has disgraced ... Archbishop voices 'shame and sorrow' after priest's abuse trial Longley to visit parishes 'damaged' by Walsh Today, Tuesday 7 February, Bede Walsh, who served as a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, has been convicted by a jury, following a 10-day trial at Stoke-on-Trent ...
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