Newsline Canada
 

Canada - Aboriginal Peoples, Muslims face discrimination most: poll http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/15/discrimination-poll-2010.html March 15, 2010 | CBC News One in three Canadians believe that Aboriginal Peoples and Muslims are the frequent targets of discrimination, a CBC-commissioned poll suggests. About 28 per cent of the 2,000 surveyed by pollster Environics Research Group in February and March also said Pakistanis/East Indians often suffer from intolerance, while 20 per cent said blacks regularly faced it. More than a tenth of Canadians surveyed said they thought Jews, Chinese and anglophones inside Quebec suffered from persistent discrimination, while francophones outside Quebec ranked the lowest at nine per cent. according to the study, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. But if many Canadians feel discrimination happens on a regular basis, they may not feel it has a "pervasive, negative effect" on the ethnic groups, according to Jeffrey Reitz, a University of Toronto professor who studies ethnic diversity. "These groups are minorities and if you asked people, 'Are blacks experiencing discrimination?' They might shrug and say, 'Yeah, probably,' but you know it's not something that concerns them directly. And so it's treated as somebody else's problem." Reitz also suggests that our perceptions of racism may be coloured by our pride in multiculturalism, a policy officially declared in 1971. "Canadians have as part of their self-image the belief in being inclusive, open, multicultural, and Canadians are proud of that," Reitz said. "It would be inconsistent to then believe that there's pervasive discrimination." Drop in discrimination The study also found a substantial drop in Canadian's perceptions of pervasive discrimination against blacks (12 per cent), and Muslims and Aboriginal Peoples (nine per cent) since a similar survey four years ago. A Manitoban aboriginal advocacy group believes the decrease in perceived discrimination has little to do with reality. "Daily experience would suggest otherwise," said Grand Chief Morris J. Swan Shannacappo of the Southern Chiefs' Organization. "There still exists systemic discrimination against Aboriginal Peoples in the health-care, social-service and justice systems, particularly in the Prairies," he said. According to the poll, Prairie residents were most likely to perceive discrimination against Aboriginal Peoples, while residents of Toronto and Montreal believe blacks and Muslims are most often targeted. Quebecers were more likely to say blacks, Chinese, Pakistanis/East Indians and Aboriginal Peoples never face discrimination. Tarek Fatah, founder of the moderate Muslim Canadian Congress, questioned why Muslims constituted a category in the poll. "Discrimination in this country is essentially a race issue," he said. "If the Muslim is white, nobody has a problem. If the Muslim is black, people are petrified. So in the end it is a question about colour, not religion." Changing views of young Canadians The poll also suggests Canadians aged 18 to 29 are more likely than any other age bracket to say discrimination is pervasive. But that age group also saw the highest level of improvement in perceived tolerance in the past four years, a rise some see as indicative of growing acceptance. Alena Mondok, 13, of Toronto says race has never been an issue for her. Despite having a father with Slovak heritage and a mother of Jamaican descent, Alena only defines herself as Canadian. "I feel that I'm Canadian because I've lived here all my life, and I don't know anything else." The Mondok family says they've rarely experienced discrimination, recalling only one incident where a classmate called their then 10-year-old son "so black that he was like a Jamaican drug dealer," said Alena's mother, Karen. "It's largely a non-issue in our family and I don't get the sense that our kids are really focused on that at all," added her father, Brett. A recent Statistics Canada report projects that about one-third of the population will be members of a visible minority by 2031, with whites becoming the minority in Toronto and Vancouver over the next few decades. While there's still disagreement over the severity of the problems of discrimination and inequality as Canada continues to grow in ethnic diversity, Reitz says, visible minorities still face challenges. A royal commission charged with making an in-depth investigation into national issues is necessary to clear the air and find solutions, Reitz says.

Poverty is a problem disproportionately faced by people of colour including African Canadian and specific Asian Canadian communities. UN Expert Gay McDougall visits Jane-Finch http://www.straight.com/article-266041 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIyelySlPbM    Straight Talk | October 23, 2009 Statement by the United Nations independent expert on minority issues, Ms. Gay McDougall, on the conclusion of her official visit to Canada: During the course of my official visit to Canada between 13 and 23 October I have had an opportunity to meet with both government officials at the Federal and provincial levels and to consult directly with members of numerous minority communities in Ontario, British Colombia and Quebec. My visit allowed me a unique opportunity for dialogue in relation to my mandate to promote implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic minorities. I came to Canada at the invitation of the Federal Government and I wish to express my thanks to the federal and provincial Governments for their cooperation in the preparation and conduct of my visit. I also wish to thank all those who contributed information and assistance to me including numerous non-governmental organizations. I want to emphasize that the views expressed in this statement are of a preliminary nature and are not comprehensive. My findings and recommendations will be fully developed in my report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2010. Canada is rightly proud of its richly diverse society including citizens with over 200 ethnic backgrounds, numerous languages, religions and cultural practices. Many identify themselves as African and Caribbean Canadians, Arab and Asian Canadians; people of colour and religious minorities. Persons belonging to minorities generally described Canada as a society open to and accepting of cultural, religious and linguistic differences, where they can express their identities, speak their languages and practice their faiths freely and without hindrance. Canada has an impressive constitutional and legislative framework at the federal and provincial levels that requires adherence to the core principles of equality and non-discrimination for all. Canada was a leader among nations in fashioning a state policy of multiculturalism. However, achieving a truly inclusive society requires constant vigilance. As I have toured Canada members of various communities have discussed with me significant and persistent problems that they face in their lives as persons belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as people of colour or of particular religious beliefs. Many of those I have spoken with feel that the government has failed to respond adequately to their problems or to devise meaningful solutions, leaving them and their communities feeling discriminated against, neglected or as second class citizens in their country of birth or long-term residence. I would like to summarize a number of issues of concern raised with me by those communities.  In the course of my four years as Independent Expert on minority issues I have consistently highlighted that demographic data disaggregated along ethnic and religious lines, as well as gender, is essential to reveal hidden inequalities and to provide a key resource for informed policy responses. Statistics Canada has done excellent work in the field of data collection and analysis. But the demographics are changing so rapidly that there are new demands for deeper levels of disaggregation to keep pace with shifts in the economic and social status of specific minority communities. Digging deeper into demographic data can also give recognition to even greater diversity in Canadian society. While the category called “visible minority”, as used in the Employment Equity Act, was at one time a positive step to acknowledge minority communities, it is now too broad to give a realistic picture of the achievements of or problems faced by distinct communities. Certain communities like African Canadians feel strongly that the terminology of “visible minorities” under which their data is captured leads inevitably to the neglect of their specific identities and situations. “Unpacking” the visible minority data is a first essential step towards recognition that a wide variety of experiences exist among different minority groups. In the numerous discussions that I had over the past two weeks with government officials at federal and provincial levels, I had a feeling of constant confusion about what groups were being referred to. Officials talked about “immigrants”, “visible minorities” and “cultural communities” in ways that often seemed inter-changeable and overlapping. Many of the most positive policies appear targeted towards “immigrants” and new arrivals, while few seem to speak directly to the experiences of those long-standing and established minority communities. The word “race” was almost never used; almost as if it was being deliberately avoided. Yet, I came to understand that issues of race still have salience in this society.   Both federal and provincial governments acknowledged to me that poverty is a problem disproportionately faced by people of colour including African Canadian and specific Asian Canadian communities. Poverty alleviation programmes in Canada must be targeted towards racialized communities. Responses should be holistic in nature and must recognize the complex causes of poverty that include discrimination targeted towards minorities because of the colour of their skin and the resulting social and economic exclusion.   There is a great amount of concern, particularly in African and some Asian Canadian communities that their children are having negative experiences in public schools. Data reveals that drop-out rates are particularly high among boys from these communities. This will merely perpetuate the poverty which is already evident and disproportionate in some minority communities. The current discourse and rhetoric of multicultural education appears to be failing these children. Parents and community leaders described approaches to education that do not take into account their different cultures of learning, curriculum and textbooks that ignore their histories and contributions to Canadian society and a gross under-representation of minorities in the teaching and school administrative staff. Clearly there are examples of good practices and projects, like the Pathways to Education Project in Ontario and a school I visited in Toronto. But, it is vital for Canada’s future that more is done to fully recognize the challenges that many immigrant and minority children face and to address these from the earliest school years and throughout the learning experience.   Equally it is well documented that for some minority communities, including some sectors of the Asian Canadian and immigrant community, consistently higher than average educational achievements for young people do not translate into access to professional and skilled employment and wages commensurate with their educational outcomes. This disconnect between education and employment must be tackled by government as an important issue of concern.   Income levels generally are significantly lower for minorities, unemployment rates are higher and minorities are disproportionately living in the poorest neighbourhoods and in social housing with relatively poor access to services. A cycle of poverty for some communities is set in place from which it will be difficult or impossible to escape. Both federal and provincial governments have useful legislation and policies in the field of employment equity. However there is a substantial implementation gap that is widely acknowledged both by government and civil society. Standards and requirements must be better enforced and penalties must be imposed to ensure that Canada’s workplaces, both public and private, truly reflect the diversity present in society and live up to the promise of equality. Government must lead by example of robust efforts and measurable achievements in recruiting, retaining and promoting minorities to senior roles in the public service, ministries and departments. Government workplaces should be the first examples of enabling environments for the advancement of minorities.   Political participation and representation is a key minority issue, enabling minorities to have a voice in decision making bodies. However at the federal, provincial and municipal levels minorities are extremely poorly represented in political structures and institutions in Canada. Minorities themselves must be more proactive in their own engagement and participation in political processes. However more must be done to ensure that minorities are empowered to do so and attention must be given by all political actors, including political parties, to improve the representation of minorities.   There is a deep level of frustration among minority communities that highly qualified and skilled workers have been encouraged to migrate to Canada, only to find on their arrival that their qualifications are not recognized at the provincial level. They are unable to gain employment in their former professions despite critical shortages, including of doctors and nurses in some regions. I was told of numerous cases of professionals who described being recruited when practicing their professions in their home countries but have faced lengthy, expensive and unexpected hurdles to satisfy the credentialing requirements in the various provinces in Canada. Meanwhile they are forced to resort to take on low skilled, low waged, precarious employment for years. For some, the difficulties experienced have led to their living in conditions of hardship and poverty. The cliché of ‘doctors driving taxi cabs’ resonates as reality for many minority professionals in Canada. I understand that this is a complex issue and that Federal and provincial governments are beginning a collaborative process to develop a framework for addressing this important issue together with professional regulatory bodies. However this is a long-standing problem and efforts to find solutions appear to be still at an embryonic stage. Effective solutions should be put in place as a matter of urgency.   Every community I talked with raised serious issues of policing, including Montreal North, the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Regent Park and Jane and Finch in Toronto. The concerns included racial profiling as a systemic practice, over-policing of some communities in which minorities form a large percentage of the population and disturbing allegations of excessive use of force leading to deaths particularly of young Black males. Perceptions persist that the police act with impunity in some localities and that investigations are not conducted by independent authorities. Minorities feel that the justice system is failing them and that mechanisms of redress, including Human Rights Commissions are inaccessible, underfunded and under threat. It is essential that investigations into serious allegations of police misconduct are carried out by bodies that are perceived by the communities to be independent and that mechanisms of civilian oversight are established. I expressed these concerns in a meeting with the Montreal police.   While on the one hand, Members of the Muslim communities in every city that I visited, reported that they feel there is certainly freedom to practice their religion in Canada, on the other hand, government policies post 9/11 have made them feel targeted, profiled and harassed. They say they have been indiscriminately subjected to unfair and unjust treatment by federal and provincial authorities, the media and others. Muslim and Arab communities described to me deep anxiety and fear. They fear speaking out about their concerns and expect a possible backlash against them if they seek avenues of redress. They are concerned about racial profiling and the unsubstantiated use of Security Certificates. They perceive they have a second class citizenship as compared to non-Muslim Canadians when they are abroad and require the support and assistance of the Canadian authorities and consular services. Steps must be taken to address these concerns, answer allegations of unfair treatment, and to build positive relations and confidence among communities that feel targeted by national security legislation.   Canada’s Constitution recognizes the authority of provincial governments in such fields as education, employment, the delivery of health care, social housing, and social services. These are critical responsibilities with respect to equality in the protection of social and economic rights. The Federal government of Canada, however, has the unavoidable responsibility for ensuring that Canada meets its international obligations in all fields of human rights. The Federal government must be the guarantor of human rights and establish mechanisms that meet this requirement. The current practice has created an uneven and unclear enforcement system that varies between provinces. Human Rights Commissions have an essential role to play in the promotion and protection of human rights, but the jurisdiction of the federal Commission is severely limited and the Provincial bodies are under-resourced, under threat and have been abolished in some provinces. This has led many communities that I talked with to lose faith in the effectiveness of these critical enforcement bodies. The Federal government, in close cooperation with provincial authorities, must work towards stronger mechanisms of cooperation to guarantee consistent enforcement with respect to obligations under the provisions of international treaties to which Canada is a party, particularly in the area of non-discrimination and equality and the implementation of the rights of persons belonging to minority groups.

Canada's Christian numbers projected to fall over next two decades In the next 20 years Canada is expected to be less Christian, and a little less religious. Written by Michael Swan, The Catholic Register, | Friday, 12 March 2010 According to Statistics Canada, the most dramatic change in Canada’s religious landscape will be an increase in the number of Muslims. Muslims currently make up 35 per cent of all non-Christians. By 2031 they will be half of the non-Christian population. Overall, the non-Christians will increase to 14 per cent of Canadians, compared with eight per cent now. Those who claim no religion will rise marginally to 21 per cent, from about 17 per cent today, Statistics Canada projects. The Christian majority is expected to drop from 75 per cent of the population to 65 per cent by 2031. The changes are largely driven by immigration. Between now and 2031 the foreign-born population could increase approximately four times faster than the Canadian-born population, Statistics Canada said in its March 9 release. The agency projects the foreign-born portion of Canada’s population will increase from 20 per cent in 2006 to between 25 and 28 per cent in 2031. One group likely to change the face of many Catholic parishes is Canada’s fourth largest visible minority - Filipinos. The overwhelmingly Catholic Filipino population is expected to double over the next 20 years. The changes will be most dramatic in Canada’s largest cities. Small towns and rural areas are likely to see little change. Seventy-one per cent of all visible minority people will live in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal by 2031, according to projections.

Our home and native - and adopted - land Excerpt from article by Haroon Siddiqui – Toronto Star March 14, 2010 If you don't like non-whites, Statistics Canada has given you more reason to grumble. But if you are among the overwhelming majority of Canadians who have adjusted well to our demographic diversity, indeed see it as a defining feature of our nation, take a bow. Statistics Canada's population projections to 2031, released Tuesday, showcase what is perhaps the most ambitious and successful experiment in heterogeneity in human history. The population of visible minorities is expected to rise from one in every five Canadians to to one in three – potentially 14.4 million. The largest group, as now, would be South Asians. The Toronto CMA (census metropolitan area, Oshawa to Burlington) would be nearly two-thirds non-white – 5.6 million. Among them, South Asians would have tripled to 2.1 million. Chinese would be 1.1 million. Vancouver also would be almost two-thirds non-white. But, in a flip of Toronto, the largest group there, as now, would be the Chinese, followed by South Asians. Montreal would continue to lag in diversity. Only one in three would be non-white. Blacks (mostly Haitians, like Michaëlle Jean) would double to 381,000. While immigration would remain a big-city phenomenon, mid-size cities would change as well. "VizMins" would double their numbers in Barrie, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, Oshawa, Peterborough, etc. It is a tribute to our national character that this "browning" of Canada has not attracted racist hand-wringing. Contrast this with the scaremongering in Europe about Arabs/Muslims, portrayed as the advance guard of "Eurabia." The few Canadians who do relate to that will find fodder for their phobia in the StatsCan figures: As the population of non-whites grows at eight times the rate of the rest, the Arabs among them (including Christian Arabs) would climb to 1.1 million. In Montreal, they'd triple to 367,000. Across Canada, Islam would remain the fastest growing religion. Muslims would triple from 2.7 per cent of the population to 6.8 per cent. They would constitute half our non-Christian population. So what? Race, religion, colour and ethnicity have always defined some parts of our multiple identities (aboriginals, Catholics, Chinese, Germans, etc.). Similarly, there have always been two Canadas – urban and rural. What is different today is that most non-whites live in cities. But why should that be of greater concern than, say, the Ukrainians and Poles tilling the Prairies in earlier generations? The lament about "two Canadas" in the context of colour is misguided. Ditto the worry over "ethnic ghettoes." Do we have "white ghettoes"? Meanwhile, some Quebec politicians are getting hysterical about the handful of women covering their faces in a niqab. As long as such women show their faces for security and other identification purposes and obey the law, who cares? The anti-niqab campaign is wrapped in the tinsel of gender equity but is as authoritarian as other male attempts at controlling women, and just as destructive. Far more relevant are issues of economic integration and their impact on our GDP. Today's immigrants and visible minorities are better educated than the native-born and also much younger – meaning more of them are in the working age group and driving our economy. Our common good rests on ensuring that they reach their full productive potential. Removing systemic discrimination is not just an issue of equity and human rights but enlightened self-interest. Wendy Cukier, associate dean of the School of Management at Ryerson University and founder of its Diversity Institute, notes that "tremendous progress" has been made in combatting overt discrimination. Yet subtle systematic barriers remain, as three of her institute's studies showed. Despite higher education, immigrants continue to suffer higher rates of unemployment and lower rates of pay. Another study of 17,000 middle managers showed that non-whites are significantly less satisfied with their career progression and find that promotion processes are not fair and transparent. Another study shows that visible minorities, already nearly 50 per cent of the GTA, are barely represented in senior positions: only 5 per cent of corporate leaders and 13 per cent of the 3,257 senior leaders in both the public and private sectors. The federal government, which employs 260,000 people, has a sorry record. Visible minorities, 12.6 per cent of the qualified workforce, constitute 10.3 per cent of the federal payroll, and remain clustered at the bottom. By contrast, Ontario, which employs 65,000, is the only province with a diversity officer to push proportionate representation of qualified candidates. A staff survey, filled out by as many as 41,000 employees, showed that visible minorities are indeed well represented but not in the senior ranks. Shelly Jamieson, secretary of the cabinet and head of the civil service, says that "a strategy is in place" to change that. Ontario was also the only province to appoint a Fairness Commissioner to ensure that the credentials of internationally trained professionals are evaluated fairly and quickly. Jean Augustine has oversight over 38 self-regulating professions, 22 of them in the health field. She reports progress in 16 – among them those regulating engineers, dentists and pharmacists. Such initiatives are what we need as a nation, not cultural warfare on each other. The Canadian-born and the foreign-born are all in this together, here in our home and native and adopted land. hsiddiqui@thestar.ca

Canadians need to save more for retirement: David Dodge http://www.hrreporter.com/ArticleView.aspx?l=1&articleid=7643 3/19/2010 Former Bank of Canada boss urges workers to set aside 10 to 21 per cent of pre-tax income Canadians need to start saving more money earlier if they want to be able to retire comfortably, according to former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge. Workers need to start saving between 10 and 21 per cent of pre-tax earnings, every year for 35 years, if they want to maintain their pre-retirement lifestyle, according to a C.D. Howe Institute report on savings, co-authored by Dodge. The fraction is likely higher than most Canadians realized they needed to save and is higher than what is set aside in most employer-based group retirement savings plans or defined contribution plans, said Dodge. Even workers with employer-sponsored defined benefit plans probably don't have enough savings to make it comfortably through retirement, he said. Canadians over the age of 35, who have put off saving for retirement or haven't been putting enough away, will have to put aside far more than 20 per cent of their gross pay or work well past age 65, said the paper. The findings of the paper are based on the assumption Canadians would want 70 per cent of their pre-retirement income when they retire at age 65. But even with only a 60-per-cent income replacement at a later retirement date, savings still need to be substantial.

Holy Father's Pastoral Letter on child abuse crisis http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_eng/text.html A sign of the Pope's deep concern At the General Audience on Wednesday, 17 March, Feast of St Patrick, the Holy Father greeted the many Irish pilgrims present. The Pope announced that he will be signing his Pastoral Letter dealing with the painful situation of the child abuse crisis that in recent months has affected the Church in Ireland, on 19 March, the Solemnity of St Joseph. The following are the Holy Father's words in English. Today is the feast of St Patrick, and in a special way I greet all the Irish faithful and pilgrims here present. As you know, in recent months the Church in Ireland has been severely shaken as a result of the child abuse crisis. As a sign of my deep concern I have written a Pastoral Letter dealing with this painful situation. I will sign it on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the Guardian of the Holy Family and Patron of the Universal Church, and send it soon after. I ask all of you to read it for yourselves, with an open heart and in a spirit of faith. My hope is that it will help in the process of repentance, healing and renewal. Read full text of Pope’s letter to the Catholics of Ireland (below) Pope Benedict XVI Full text of the pope's letter to the Catholics of Ireland on child sex abuse'  In order to recover from this grievous wound, the Church in Ireland must first acknowledge before the Lord and before others the serious sins committed against defenceless children' The Vatican issued a pastoral letter from the pope to the Catholics of Ireland today, addressing the scandal of child sex abuse by priests and its concealment by church leaders. What follows is the full text. Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Church in Ireland it is with great concern that I write to you as Pastor of the universal Church. Like yourselves, I have been deeply disturbed by the information which has come to light regarding the abuse of children and vulnerable young people by members of the Church in Ireland, particularly by priests and religious. I can only share in the dismay and the sense of betrayal that so many of you have experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them. As you know, I recently invited the Irish bishops to a meeting here in Rome to give an account of their handling of these matters in the past and to outline the steps they have taken to respond to this grave situation. Together with senior officials of the Roman Curia, I listened to what they had to say, both individually and as a group, as they offered an analysis of mistakes made and lessons learned, and a description of the programmes and protocols now in place. Our discussions were frank and constructive. I am confident that, as a result, the bishops will now be in a stronger position to carry forward the work of repairing past injustices and confronting the broader issues associated with the abuse of minors in a way consonant with the demands of justice and the teachings of the Gospel. For my part, considering the gravity of these offences, and the often inadequate response to them on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities in your country, I have decided to write this Pastoral Letter to express my closeness to you and to propose a path of healing, renewal and reparation. It is true, as many in your country have pointed out, that the problem of child abuse is peculiar neither to Ireland nor to the Church. Nevertheless, the task you now face is to address the problem of abuse that has occurred within the Irish Catholic community, and to do so with courage and determination. No one imagines that this painful situation will be resolved swiftly. Real progress has been made, yet much more remains to be done. Perseverance and prayer are needed, with great trust in the healing power of God's grace. At the same time, I must also express my conviction that, in order to recover from this grievous wound, the Church in Ireland must first acknowledge before the Lord and before others the serious sins committed against defenceless children. Such an acknowledgement, accompanied by sincere sorrow for the damage caused to these victims and their families, must lead to a concerted effort to ensure the protection of children from similar crimes in the future. As you take up the challenges of this hour, I ask you to remember "the rock from which you were hewn" (Is 51:1). Reflect upon the generous, often heroic, contributions made by past generations of Irish men and women to the Church and to humanity as a whole, and let this provide the impetus for honest self-examination and a committed programme of ecclesial and individual renewal. It is my prayer that, assisted by the intercession of her many saints and purified through penance, the Church in Ireland will overcome the present crisis and become once more a convincing witness to the truth and the goodness of Almighty God, made manifest in his Son Jesus Christ. Historically, the Catholics of Ireland have proved an enormous force for good at home and abroad. Celtic monks like Saint Columbanus spread the Gospel in Western Europe and laid the foundations of medieval monastic culture. The ideals of holiness, charity and transcendent wisdom born of the Christian faith found expression in the building of churches and monasteries and the establishment of schools, libraries and hospitals, all of which helped to consolidate the spiritual identity of Europe. Those Irish missionaries drew their strength and inspiration from the firm faith, strong leadership and upright morals of the Church in their native land. From the sixteenth century on, Catholics in Ireland endured a long period of persecution, during which they struggled to keep the flame of faith alive in dangerous and difficult circumstances. Saint Oliver Plunkett, the martyred Archbishop of Armagh, is the most famous example of a host of courageous sons and daughters of Ireland who were willing to lay down their lives out of fidelity to the Gospel. After Catholic Emancipation, the Church was free to grow once more. Families and countless individuals who had preserved the faith in times of trial became the catalyst for the great resurgence of Irish Catholicism in the nineteenth century. The Church provided education, especially for the poor, and this was to make a major contribution to Irish society. Among the fruits of the new Catholic schools was a rise in vocations: generations of missionary priests, sisters and brothers left their homeland to serve in every continent, especially in the English-speaking world. They were remarkable not only for their great numbers, but for the strength of their faith and the steadfastness of their pastoral commitment. Many dioceses, especially in Africa, America and Australia, benefited from the presence of Irish clergy and religious who preached the Gospel and established parishes, schools and universities, clinics and hospitals that served both Catholics and the community at large, with particular attention to the needs of the poor. In almost every family in Ireland, there has been someone – a son or a daughter, an aunt or an uncle – who has given his or her life to the Church. Irish families rightly esteem and cherish their loved ones who have dedicated their lives to Christ, sharing the gift of faith with others, and putting that faith into action in loving service of God and neighbour. In recent decades, however, the Church in your country has had to confront new and serious challenges to the faith arising from the rapid transformation and secularization of Irish society. Fast-paced social change has occurred, often adversely affecting people's traditional adherence to Catholic teaching and values. All too often, the sacramental and devotional practices that sustain faith and enable it to grow, such as frequent confession, daily prayer and annual retreats, were neglected. Significant too was the tendency during this period, also on the part of priests and religious, to adopt ways of thinking and assessing secular realities without sufficient reference to the Gospel. The programme of renewal proposed by the Second Vatican Council was sometimes misinterpreted and indeed, in the light of the profound social changes that were taking place, it was far from easy to know how best to implement it. In particular, there was a well-intentioned but misguided tendency to avoid penal approaches to canonically irregular situations. It is in this overall context that we must try to understand the disturbing problem of child sexual abuse, which has contributed in no small measure to the weakening of faith and the loss of respect for the Church and her teachings. Only by examining carefully the many elements that gave rise to the present crisis can a clear-sighted diagnosis of its causes be undertaken and effective remedies be found. Certainly, among the contributing factors we can include: inadequate procedures for determining the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and the religious life; insufficient human, moral, intellectual and spiritual formation in seminaries and novitiates; a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures; and a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal, resulting in failure to apply existing canonical penalties and to safeguard the dignity of every person. Urgent action is needed to address these factors, which have had such tragic consequences in the lives of victims and their families, and have obscured the light of the Gospel to a degree that not even centuries of persecution succeeded in doing. On several occasions since my election to the See of Peter, I have met with victims of sexual abuse, as indeed I am ready to do in the future. I have sat with them, I have listened to their stories, I have acknowledged their suffering, and I have prayed with them and for them. Earlier in my pontificate, in my concern to address this matter, I asked the bishops of Ireland, "to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected, and above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes" (Address to the Bishops of Ireland, 28 October 2006). With this Letter, I wish to exhort all of you, as God's people in Ireland, to reflect on the wounds inflicted on Christ's body, the sometimes painful remedies needed to bind and heal them, and the need for unity, charity and mutual support in the long-term process of restoration and ecclesial renewal. I now turn to you with words that come from my heart, and I wish to speak to each of you individually and to all of you as brothers and sisters in the Lord.   To the victims of abuse and their families You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were courageous enough to speak of what happened to you, no one would listen. Those of you who were abused in residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from your sufferings. It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope. It is in the communion of the Church that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ, who was himself a victim of injustice and sin. Like you, he still bears the wounds of his own unjust suffering. He understands the depths of your pain and its enduring effect upon your lives and your relationships, including your relationship with the Church. I know some of you find it difficult even to enter the doors of a church after all that has occurred. Yet Christ's own wounds, transformed by his redemptive sufferings, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope. I believe deeply in the healing power of his self-sacrificing love – even in the darkest and most hopeless situations – to bring liberation and the promise of a new beginning. Speaking to you as a pastor concerned for the good of all God's children, I humbly ask you to consider what I have said. I pray that, by drawing nearer to Christ and by participating in the life of his Church – a Church purified by penance and renewed in pastoral charity – you will come to rediscover Christ's infinite love for each one of you. I am confident that in this way you will be able to find reconciliation, deep inner healing and peace.   To priests and religious who have abused children You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents, and you must answer for it before Almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals. You have forfeited the esteem of the people of Ireland and brought shame and dishonour upon your confreres. Those of you who are priests violated the sanctity of the sacrament of Holy Orders in which Christ makes himself present in us and in our actions. Together with the immense harm done to victims, great damage has been done to the Church and to the public perception of the priesthood and religious life. I urge you to examine your conscience, take responsibility for the sins you have committed, and humbly express your sorrow. Sincere repentance opens the door to God's forgiveness and the grace of true amendment. By offering prayers and penances for those you have wronged, you should seek to atone personally for your actions. Christ's redeeming sacrifice has the power to forgive even the gravest of sins, and to bring forth good from even the most terrible evil. At the same time, God's justice summons us to give an account of our actions and to conceal nothing. Openly acknowledge your guilt, submit yourselves to the demands of justice, but do not despair of God's mercy.   To parents You have been deeply shocked to learn of the terrible things that took place in what ought to be the safest and most secure environment of all. In today's world it is not easy to build a home and to bring up children. They deserve to grow up in security, loved and cherished, with a strong sense of their identity and worth. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person, to be inspired by the truth of our Catholic faith and to learn ways of behaving and acting that lead to healthy self-esteem and lasting happiness. This noble but demanding task is entrusted in the first place to you, their parents. I urge you to play your part in ensuring the best possible care of children, both at home and in society as a whole, while the Church, for her part, continues to implement the measures adopted in recent years to protect young people in parish and school environments. As you carry out your vital responsibilities, be assured that I remain close to you and I offer you the support of my prayers.   To the children and young people of Ireland I wish to offer you a particular word of encouragement. Your experience of the Church is very different from that of your parents and grandparents. The world has changed greatly since they were your age. Yet all people, in every generation, are called to travel the same path through life, whatever their circumstances may be. We are all scandalized by the sins and failures of some of the Church's members, particularly those who were chosen especially to guide and serve young people. But it is in the Church that you will find Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and for ever (cf. Heb 13:8). He loves you and he has offered himself on the cross for you. Seek a personal relationship with him within the communion of his Church, for he will never betray your trust! He alone can satisfy your deepest longings and give your lives their fullest meaning by directing them to the service of others. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and his goodness, and shelter the flame of faith in your heart. Together with your fellow Catholics in Ireland, I look to you to be faithful disciples of our Lord and to bring your much-needed enthusiasm and idealism to the rebuilding and renewal of our beloved Church.   To the priests and religious of Ireland All of us are suffering as a result of the sins of our confreres who betrayed a sacred trust or failed to deal justly and responsibly with allegations of abuse. In view of the outrage and indignation which this has provoked, not only among the lay faithful but among yourselves and your religious communities, many of you feel personally discouraged, even abandoned. I am also aware that in some people's eyes you are tainted by association, and viewed as if you were somehow responsible for the misdeeds of others. At this painful time, I want to acknowledge the dedication of your priestly and religious lives and apostolates, and I invite you to reaffirm your faith in Christ, your love of his Church and your confidence in the Gospel's promise of redemption, forgiveness and interior renewal. In this way, you will demonstrate for all to see that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (cf. Rom 5:20). I know that many of you are disappointed, bewildered and angered by the way these matters have been handled by some of your superiors. Yet, it is essential that you cooperate closely with those in authority and help to ensure that the measures adopted to respond to the crisis will be truly evangelical, just and effective. Above all, I urge you to become ever more clearly men and women of prayer, courageously following the path of conversion, purification and reconciliation. In this way, the Church in Ireland will draw new life and vitality from your witness to the Lord's redeeming power made visible in your lives.   To my brother bishops It cannot be denied that some of you and your predecessors failed, at times grievously, to apply the long-established norms of canon law to the crime of child abuse. Serious mistakes were made in responding to allegations. I recognize how difficult it was to grasp the extent and complexity of the problem, to obtain reliable information and to make the right decisions in the light of conflicting expert advice. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that grave errors of judgement were made and failures of leadership occurred. All this has seriously undermined your credibility and effectiveness. I appreciate the efforts you have made to remedy past mistakes and to guarantee that they do not happen again. Besides fully implementing the norms of canon law in addressing cases of child abuse, continue to cooperate with the civil authorities in their area of competence. Clearly, religious superiors should do likewise. They too have taken part in recent discussions here in Rome with a view to establishing a clear and consistent approach to these matters. It is imperative that the child safety norms of the Church in Ireland be continually revised and updated and that they be applied fully and impartially in conformity with canon law. Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and good will of the Irish people towards the Church to which we have consecrated our lives. This must arise, first and foremost, from your own self-examination, inner purification and spiritual renewal. The Irish people rightly expect you to be men of God, to be holy, to live simply, to pursue personal conversion daily. For them, in the words of Saint Augustine, you are a bishop; yet with them you are called to be a follower of Christ (cf. Sermon 340, 1). I therefore exhort you to renew your sense of accountability before God, to grow in solidarity with your people and to deepen your pastoral concern for all the members of your flock. In particular, I ask you to be attentive to the spiritual and moral lives of each one of your priests. Set them an example by your own lives, be close to them, listen to their concerns, offer them encouragement at this difficult time and stir up the flame of their love for Christ and their commitment to the service of their brothers and sisters. The lay faithful, too, should be encouraged to play their proper part in the life of the Church. See that they are formed in such a way that they can offer an articulate and convincing account of the Gospel in the midst of modern society (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) and cooperate more fully in the Church's life and mission. This in turn will help you once again become credible leaders and witnesses to the redeeming truth of Christ.   To all the faithful of Ireland A young person's experience of the Church should always bear fruit in a personal and life-giving encounter with Jesus Christ within a loving, nourishing community. In this environment, young people should be encouraged to grow to their full human and spiritual stature, to aspire to high ideals of holiness, charity and truth, and to draw inspiration from the riches of a great religious and cultural tradition. In our increasingly secularized society, where even we Christians often find it difficult to speak of the transcendent dimension of our existence, we need to find new ways to pass on to young people the beauty and richness of friendship with Jesus Christ in the communion of his Church. In confronting the present crisis, measures to deal justly with individual crimes are essential, yet on their own they are not enough: a new vision is needed, to inspire present and future generations to treasure the gift of our common faith. By treading the path marked out by the Gospel, by observing the commandments and by conforming your lives ever more closely to the figure of Jesus Christ, you will surely experience the profound renewal that is so urgently needed at this time. I invite you all to persevere along this path.   Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is out of deep concern for all of you at this painful time in which the fragility of the human condition has been so starkly revealed that I have wished to offer these words of encouragement and support. I hope that you will receive them as a sign of my spiritual closeness and my confidence in your ability to respond to the challenges of the present hour by drawing renewed inspiration and strength from Ireland's noble traditions of fidelity to the Gospel, perseverance in the faith and steadfastness in the pursuit of holiness. In solidarity with all of you, I am praying earnestly that, by God's grace, the wounds afflicting so many individuals and families may be healed and that the Church in Ireland may experience a season of rebirth and spiritual renewal.   I now wish to propose to you some concrete initiatives to address the situation. At the conclusion of my meeting with the Irish bishops, I asked that Lent this year be set aside as a time to pray for an outpouring of God's mercy and the Holy Spirit's gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in your country. I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace. Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose. I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses and monasteries to organize periods of Eucharistic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part. Through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful. I am confident that this programme will lead to a rebirth of the Church in Ireland in the fullness of God's own truth, for it is the truth that sets us free (cf. Jn 8:32). Furthermore, having consulted and prayed about the matter, I intend to hold an Apostolic Visitation of certain dioceses in Ireland, as well as seminaries and religious congregations. Arrangements for the Visitation, which is intended to assist the local Church on her path of renewal, will be made in cooperation with the competent offices of the Roman Curia and the Irish Episcopal Conference. The details will be announced in due course. I also propose that a nationwide Mission be held for all bishops, priests and religious. It is my hope that, by drawing on the expertise of experienced preachers and retreat-givers from Ireland and from elsewhere, and by exploring anew the conciliar documents, the liturgical rites of ordination and profession, and recent pontifical teaching, you will come to a more profound appreciation of your respective vocations, so as to rediscover the roots of your faith in Jesus Christ and to drink deeply from the springs of living water that he offers you through his Church. In this Year for Priests, I commend to you most particularly the figure of Saint John Mary Vianney, who had such a rich understanding of the mystery of the priesthood. "The priest", he wrote, "holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of his goods." The Curé d'Ars understood well how greatly blessed a community is when served by a good and holy priest: "A good shepherd, a pastor after God's heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy." Through the intercession of Saint John Mary Vianney, may the priesthood in Ireland be revitalized, and may the whole Church in Ireland grow in appreciation for the great gift of the priestly ministry. I take this opportunity to thank in anticipation all those who will be involved in the work of organizing the Apostolic Visitation and the Mission, as well as the many men and women throughout Ireland already working for the safety of children in church environments. Since the time when the gravity and extent of the problem of child sexual abuse in Catholic institutions first began to be fully grasped, the Church has done an immense amount of work in many parts of the world in order to address and remedy it. While no effort should be spared in improving and updating existing procedures, I am encouraged by the fact that the current safeguarding practices adopted by local Churches are being seen, in some parts of the world, as a model for other institutions to follow. I wish to conclude this Letter with a special Prayer for the Church in Ireland, which I send to you with the care of a father for his children and with the affection of a fellow Christian, scandalized and hurt by what has occurred in our beloved Church. As you make use of this prayer in your families, parishes and communities, may the Blessed Virgin Mary protect and guide each of you to a closer union with her Son, crucified and risen. With great affection and unswerving confidence in God's promises, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord. From the Vatican, 19 March 2010, on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph | BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

1 in 4 Brits don’t do any paid work http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol The Scottish Sun News | March 18, 2010 A STAGGERING quarter of Brits are not working after the worst recession on record, it emerged – March 18, 2010 Shock figures showed 8.16million have stayed in education, signed off sick or given up any hope of finding a job. The number of "economically inactive" Brits has soared by 149,000 in just three months. And this comes on top of 2.45million who are officially unemployed. The total of 10.6million represents more than a quarter of the working age population. Experts said the stunning figure showed the grim toll of the worst slump in living memory. Official statistics yesterday showed unemployment actually FELL by 33,000 in the three months to February. But economists said the drop masked an alarming rise in "under-unemployment" across the UK. The Office for National Statistics revealed the number of people in work has dived by 54,000 to 28.86million. Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Theresa May said: "Any fall in the headline unemployment figure is welcome. But the figures are a real cause for concern. "With fewer people in work and fewer jobs there is now a real fear of a jobless recovery under Labour." Liberal Democrat spokesman Steve Webb said: "The sad story is that people are just giving up on looking for work instead of finding new jobs." Yesterday's figures showed the student population alone rose by nearly 100,000 over the winter to 2.31million - the biggest increase on record. The number of temporary sick jumped 9,000 to 185,000. The economically inactive also include 74,000 "discouraged" Brits who have given up looking for work as they do not feel there is a job out there for them. There were 480,000 vacancies across the UK last month. But the long-term unemployed - those out of work for over a year - jumped by more than 61,000 to 687,000, the highest figure since 1997. Experts said the statistics showed Britain is still crawling out of recession, despite PM Gordon Brown's attempts to kickstart the economy. Administrators axed 696 more jobs at discount fashion store Ethel Austin yesterday and Yellow Pages group Yell said it may cut 169 staff. CBI chief economic adviser Ian McCafferty said: "The labour market is still very fragile. Growth is not yet sufficient to generate net new job creation." Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted that the Government's investment in training was making a difference. She said: "We're not out of the woods yet and we are determined to do more to support jobs and help the unemployed this year." The number claiming Jobseeker's Allowance fell in February by 32,300 to 1.59million. And youth unemployment dropped by 28,000 to 915,000. Experts had expected unemployment to hit three million. But they warned that while it may now peak at lower levels, there were growing fears "under-unemployment" would hit consumer spending and delay the recovery. John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said: "Overall the jobs market is flat. "It is operating at a much weaker level of demand than before the recession, and still at risk of a serious relapse." PUBLIC sector pay is going up by more than TEN TIMES the rate of private sector salaries. Official figures yesterday showed public sector wages were rising at four per cent per year - against 0.4 per cent in private firms.