National Canadian pro-life conference seeks to offer hope

Montreal, Canada, Sep 13, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Montreal will play host to the Canada’s annual pro-life conference in mid-November.

The theme for this year’s conference, held Nov. 17-19 at St. Joseph’s Oratory, is "Source of Hope: The Province of Quebec and Canada at the Crossroads."

The national conference has been organized for the last 27 years. The last time it was held in Montreal was nearly 20 years ago.

Jim Hughes, president of Campaign Life Coalition, said organizers chose the province of Quebec for this year’s venue for two reasons: first, because of its recent history as a society that is generally pro-abortion and pro-same-sex union. But second, because of a belief among some pro-life leaders that Quebec may emerge in the not-too-distant future as a leader in pro-life issues.

The late Gilles Grondin, founder of Campagne Québec-Vie, would say: "The problem began in Quebec but the seeds of the solution would come from Quebec as well," Hughes told the Catholic News Agency.

"When the renewal comes, it is possible that Quebec will show leadership for the rest of the country," Hughes added. Organizers are expecting between 300 and 500 participants, he said.

The opening session of the conference will reflect the multi-faith dimension of the pro-life movement in Canada. It will feature different faith perspectives on life and family from Archbishop-emeritus Adam Exner of Vancouver, Rabbi Reuven Bulka of Ottawa and Bruce Clemenger, president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, among others.

Weekend sessions will include how the media reports on life issues, the impact of abortion on women, euthanasia and its impact on palliative care, the family and marriage in Canada, Pope John Paul II and his Gospel of Life, the role of politicians in service of life and family, embryonic stem-cell research and new reproductive technologies, and the culture of death in Canada.

Registration for the full weekend is $125.

The conference will be hosted by Campagne Québec-Vie. It is sponsored by LifeCanada and Campaign Life Coalition.

For more information or registration, call 1-800-730-5358.