A blessed Canada-Dominion Day to all our readers, on which we celebrate the official founding of ‘Canada’ as a (mostly) independent part of the British Commonwealth since the signing into effect of such in 1867, with the ‘province of Lower and Upper Canada’ (later Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Although we gained further sovereignty, of a sort, with Pierre Trudeau’s 1982 Constitutional Act we are still technically a Dominion, a democratic-constitutional monarchy, with full authority residing in the Queen, through her representative, the Governor-General, who bestows authority to rule on the Prime Minister, his cabinet and party, and the parliament overseen by them, whether as a majority or minority rule.
We could dwell on all that is wrong, why this doesn’t work the way it should, and why we’re mired in a whole host of evils. Only a virtuous people can be governed well, and we sadly suffer from a lack of striving for truth and goodness, a national acedia. As someone once quipped: North of the 49th parallel we value equality; south of it, they treasure freedom. Could an analogous fall of Roe v. Wade happen here, in a land of abortion-on-demand? Not likely, but miracles do happen. Perhaps some sense of sanity will waft north of the 49th, even into the brain of Mr. Trudeau, who has doubled down in his zeal for abortion ‘rights’. I have heard that the sanity-virus is catching on. More to say on the relation amongst law, culture and morality.
But, for today, as a priest at Mass on one Canada – pardonne moi, Dominion – Day reminded us, a Jesuit, like those who first evangelized this fair nation, let us today rejoice in what Canada does have: An unsurpassed scenic beauty; of vast natural resources, from endless fresh water to the millions of acres of farmland; the freedom to move about and explore that beauty in peace; to worship, associate, write and teach and criticize the government to our heart’s content. At least thus far – I wrote ‘does’, but should qualify with some sense of ‘did’. For such freedoms are being whittled away, especially in our public institutions. It is our duty to stand up to protect those freedoms, while using them wisely and for the good. Our gratitude should be balanced with righteous zeal, like the Maccabees, who could not stand idly by and see their nation, their people, undermined and even destroyed.
Our battle is a spiritual one, to keep firmly in our hearts and minds that Canada was founded on Christian principles, as embodied in the one, true, holy Catholic and apostolic Church, spread and watered by the blood of martyrs, apostles, missionaries, pioneers, and all the noble first dwellers in this land. We have made ourselves slaves by jettisoning that heritage, for a government can only control people who, at some level, want to be controlled, and have sold their birthright for a bowl of milquetoast Liberal-esque pottage.
We would do well to honour their memory by waking up, and telling the powers that be that enough is enough, and that the only way to live, is to live free, in the truth that sets us free.
Our Lady, Saint Joseph, Saint Anne, and all the holy Martyrs, priez pour nous!