The Catholic Women’s League is calling on the federal government this month to take action on a number of sociopolitical, economic, life and health issues at their annual meeting with government officials in Ottawa.

The national league was founded in 1925 in Montreal and, with 100,000 members, it is the largest Catholic women’s group in Canada.

The actions, proposed to government departments by the Catholic Women’s League executive, are based on 12 resolutions passed by the CWL at their annual national convention in August, reported the Catholic Times.In June, Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde tabled a private member’s bill that would legalize assisted suicide.

The CWL wants Parliament to oppose this bill and retain Section 241 of the Criminal Code, which states that counseling or aiding in suicide is a criminal act.

The CWL also wants Parliament to protect the rights of farmers to save and produce their own seed and to vote down any legislation that would give private companies the right to patent common seed in Canada.

The women are urging the federal government to defend the universal right to access clean water and to demand that the World Bank and International Monetary Fund cease pressuring governments in the developing world to privatize their water systems in exchange for funds to develop water services.

The CWL has also requested that Canada sign the international agreement abolishing the death penalty and pursue efforts to stop the illegal manufacture and trafficking of crystal methamphetamine.

In addition, the CWL wants Canada Post to issue Christmas stamps that are related to the birth of Christ.

Canada Post has been issuing Christmas stamps since 1964, but in recent years, they have not included religious aspects of the celebration.For more on the Catholic Women’s League, go to: www.cwl.ca