Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP or Development and Peace)
The 1960’s was a decade of tumult and excitement among the rank and file of the worldwide Roman Catholic church. This was no less true for small groups of people committed to peace and justice at St. Ignatius of Loyola, Winnipeg. The second Vatican council had followed Pope John XXIII’s suggestion to “open the windows” of what had long been a rather insular fortress-model of the Church of Christ. With the Second Vatican Council under the pontificate of John XXIII and then following his death, concluded under the pontificate of Pope Paul VI, there was an opening to the hitherto suspected theologies of Henri de Lubac, s.j., Karl Rahner, s.j. The keynote of Rahner’s theology, that authentic faith could be present among the adherents of the other great world religions as an unthematic openness to the divine, created a new way for Christians to accompany and have fellowship with those who did not share a thematic faith in Jesus Christ as the unique centre of God’s purpose for the life of the world. De Lubac had devoted his scholarship to the concept of the corporate destiny of all humankind in the unity of the Mystical Body of Christ. The Documents of The Vatican Council, and in particular “The Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World” emphasised the interpenetration and unity of the spheres of Nature and Grace, facilitating common action for human development between Catholics and all persons of good will.
In addition to these theologies, the 1960’s saw the beginnings of Liberation Theology, a praxis-based theology that undertook action in the practice of justice followed by reflection within a circular method of Christian social-redemption. The progressive theologies coming to the fore in the Catholic Church in the 1960’s shared a conviction that God’s grace was truly universal, and graciously present wherever people were striving for the just and good, and were attempting to liberate themselves by building a society of participation. The CELAM (Conselho Episcopal Latino Americano - Latin American Episcopal Conference), founded in 1955, influenced the Second Vatican Council toward a more socially oriented understanding of salvation. In Latin America as well as other locales “base communities” were forming with the radical perspective to see the world solely from the eyes of the poor and oppressed. CELAM prepared the 1968 Medellin Conference, in Colombia, supporting "base ecclesial communities" and the Liberation theology worldview of “the preferential option for the poor” (The phrase “option for the poor” was coined by Fr. Pedro Arrupe S.J. in 1968 in a letter addressing the Jesuits of Latin America, and was elaborated by the Dominican, Gustavo Gutierrez in his book, A Theology of Liberation) The preferential option for the poor remains a divisive point in the Church, though it is contained in a number of ecclesial documents. After initially rejecting the insights of Marx in many of the liberation theology documents, the Vatican and other Church authorities moved in the 1980s, 1990s, and this decade to attempt a more nuanced view, rejecting the inadequacy of the Marxist project as an ultimate prescription due to its atheism, but praising Marx’s analysis of capitalist society and allowing a certain understanding of Liberation Theology's "preferential option for the poor". Pope John Paul II’s Laborem Exercens, (written during the Solidarnosc led Polish resistance) explicitly adopted a worker-based critique of capitalism and statist socialism: the Pope argued that due to their dignity as children of God, persons are created to be responsible agents or “subjects” within society. Workers are to be co-owners of what they produce, and are to share through their trade unions in decision-making concerning their conditions of labour. (Encyclical on Human Work, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, September 14, 1981/ on the Ninetieth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum)
1967-8 was a catalyst period of mass-enthusiasms, theological milestones, great hopes, and social revolts, including the Prague Spring and its bitter demise beneath the treads of Soviet tanks, the election of US President Richard M. Nixon and with it the escalation of the Vietnam War, the Paris mass-strikes, and at home, Expo 67-euphoria and “Trudeau-mania”. In the Catholic Church, Rubem Alves wrote Towards A Theology of Liberation in 1968. In 1967 Pope Paul’s important social encyclical, Populorum progressio was issued. (Encyclical of Pope Paul VI, On The Development of Peoples, March 26, 1967) The Pope suggested that development was the new word for peace, that in order to be true to the mission of their divine founder, Catholics must attack the sources of injustice in the real world of the economy and politics and “the imperialism of money”. One famous American corporate-newspaper described the encyclical as “pop Marxism,” but the resources for the church’s teaching reached back far deeper than Marx, and ultimately resided in her faith in the dignity of all human life, and the power of the Resurrection to elevate and unite all creation.
Winnipeg itself had long been very much a class and race-divided city, and subsequently an outpost for radical politics and projects in development. The people of Winnipeg had elected to city council, as well as to the school board and the provincial and federal Parliaments, representatives from the CCF / NDP as well as The Communist Party of Canada. While the church had always condemned revolutionary socialism and occasionally even discouraged participation in social democracy, with the 1960’s some of the movements that had once been dismissed and feared were being listened to and constructively critiqued for what they might teach Catholics.
Rev. Fr. Folio came to St. Ignatius at the end of the 60’s with a great passion for social justice and Third World development. His support was pivotal in permitting lay leaders such as Mary and Ted Kiernan, Eva Roziere, Chris Graham, and others to offer their gifts in the new parish group for development and peace. In 1985 Andre and Bea Goussaert joined the parish and have been stalwarts of D & P on local and national levels. These pioneers in social development are responsible for the present status of Development and Peace at the parochial and national council levels, and we truly stand on their shoulders. In his early years Fr. Folio’s perspective on the Gospel was not always unanimously shared at St. Ignatius. He urged the use of credit unions rather than banks and was critical of Cargill Corporation’s agriculture policies. The Canadian bishops and pastors often faced resistance in these years from persons who expected the church to support the status quo. And yet due to the new tenor of the social teaching of the church and the overall mood of the times, the church in this early period was at least somewhat tolerant of Development and Peace and its critique of society. Fr. Folio’s 15 years at St. Ignatius provided a solid basis for Development and Peace in the parish. Since his ministry as parish priest at St. Ignatius our pastors have been supportive of Development and Peace.
The Development and Peace work at St. Ignatius has focused on both local as well as global initiatives. Over the years the social faith and justice movement has organized in a number of forms: the Third World Concerns Group, the Peace Group, in addition to the Development and Peace Committee. A major task of the D&P committee is to foster local solidarity for initiatives around the world. This solidarity is celebrated and encouraged through the fall education campaigns for action, and then support is expressed through donations during the Share Lent campaign.
The Third World concerns Group, formed in 1976, was a member group of CCODP. The group met to raise funds for third world projects and to educate the parish about third world needs. "As ye do unto the least of your brothers, so ye do unto me.": these words of Jesus in Matt. 25:40 were determinative in forming the faith-values of group-members. The goal was to promote social justice through popular education. The group did not have high expectations. They realized they were involved in a struggle with the values of dominant society. They tried to present their message in a way that was non-threatening, and non¬-coercive – and to draw the messages from the head down to the heart. Members also aimed to become socially just in their personal lives.
Every 3 weeks from September through June they met in the Administration Centre with an average attendance of 12, though the total membership was 20. The group tended to draw its members from the younger age group, but there was a healthy mix of ages. About 80% were women. Meetings were not highly structured with decisions made by consensus. Eventually, meetings included sharing, prayer, and reflection, lasting 2 - 2-1/2 hours.
The Fall Action campaign took place on the second Sunday in December. The Share Lent program included fundraising, Stations of the Cross, Solidarity Sunday, and speakers. The group had a mandate to raise funds, issued by the bishops in 1967. Eva Roziere recalled that in an early year, about 16 members wrote cards to prisoners of Apartheid in South Africa. A decade later, Solidarity Sunday 1988 reminded members that the earth can feed all God’s children. They also participated in the Free Trade debate, offered support to refugees, and sent letters to the government regarding the threat of a US invasion of Nicaragua. In the fall there was a prayer vigil for South Africa, a campaign of letter to the Canadian Government to protest the violation of human rights in South Africa, and a Tools for Peace campaign for Nicaragua. We now take it for granted that the Apartheid regime fell and Nelson Mandela was released and elected President, but we forget that it was through the concerted pressure and prayers of internal and international collectivities like that at St. Ignatius that the dictatorship collapsed and was swept into the trashcan of history.
In 1989 the grade 6 class sold trivets for Share Lent, and former member of parliament Fr. Bob Ogle spoke at The Hunger Meal about Christians being more responsible for the Third World. That meant being more aware, planning for a future for the good of all, being aware of famine, foreign debt, pollution, war, population, etc. Participation in the CCODP provided members a way of putting their faith into practice.
The Fall Education/Action campaigns over the years have addressed a whole range of issues. In 1998 Members took up the campaign of Jubilee 2000. That was the call for debt relief to create a debt-free start to the new millennium for the world’s most impoverished nations. The goal was to present a petition to the G-8 summit in June 1999, Cologne, Germany. At St. Ignatius 1,100 people signed the petition. This was followed by the Parish Annual Meeting focus on social justice and a special presentation on the subject of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment in January 1999. In 2000 they launched a 3 year focus on “Equitable and Sustainable Economy”: the slogan drew on the equality of God’s children in the Creation: “The earth is for all – not for sale!” This provided education on the global economy and how it affects the majority of the world’s people. In 2001, continuing with the theme of “the earth is for all” D&P learned about biotechnology and its implications for the food we eat and food in the poorest countries. In the summer of 2002 a group went to El Salvador on an exposure trip to visit D&P partners and the El Sitio School supported by St. Ignatius. The petition cards in that year were addressed to the Prime Minister and protested corporations from patenting seeds and life forms.
“Water: Life before profit” became the slogan of the campaign in 2003. The education focused on issues of water, and took action to challenge the specious ‘right’ of corporations to privatize and control water, an essential element for life. Parishioners at St. Ignatius signed cards declaring that water is a basic human right and not a commodity on the market. Again in 2004, parishioners signed on to the Water: Life before profit campaign. In 2005 the cards petitioned the Canadian government to ensure access to clean water for all, now and for future generations.
Just mining practices was the subject of the campaign in 2006. D&P provided information and collected 651 signatures asking government to refuse support to mining companies that do not respect international environmental and human rights standards. In 2007 there was more information on mining and the petition cards asked the government to establish an office of an ombudsperson for mining.
Whereas D&P’s fall campaign focuses on education and action, the Share Lent campaign is about raising funds and awareness, with a special Solidarity Sunday. In 1987 the focus was on solidarity with 3rd world. In 1997 D&P led The Way of the Cross during Lent with the theme: “people first.” It was an affirmation of the Gospel values of people over profits and the dignity of the human person. In 1998 St. Ignatius sent $10,232 to D&P national. In 1999 there was a speaker from Peru during Lent, in support of release of political prisoners there, support of the women and children, through communal kitchens, milk programs, pressure to forgive the debt in order to give development a chance. D&P collected $11,423 at St. Ignatius.
In 2000 “active solidarity” became the new name for charity. John Paul II spoke of “the social face of love”. After Hurricane Mitch, D&P sent help to Honduras; D&P were partners in the reconstruction of the disaster area in Central America. D&P also reacted quickly in the war in Kosovo, the earthquake in Turkey, and to the state-brutality in East Timor after their referendum. St. Ignatius gave $15,808 in addition to $2,340 for Mozambique. In 2001 the parish rallied to donate well beyond the Share Lent campaign once again. In addition to the Lent collection of $15,117, there were special donations for earthquake victims in El Salvador $9,509, and in India $1,545.
This generosity continued in the following years. In 2002 the Share Lent offering reached $17,160. In 2003 Andre Goussaert reported in the parish newsletter that D&P sent out a Call for Peacemaking, urging Canadians to support a Caritas Internationalis appeal for a diplomatic and political solution to the Iraq crisis. The initial invasion of Iraq from March 19 to May 1, 2003, was spearheaded by the United States. The millions in the streets of the world were not able to deter the American administration’s resolve. In 2004 St. Ignatius donated $21,681 during Share Lent. In 2005 the Tsunami in Asia elicited a response from the rest of the world and from St. Ignatius. The February newsletter reported that D&P partners in Asia were able to respond on the same day. St. Ignatius donated more than $20,000 for the provisioning of victims and for rebuilding. In 2006 Share Lent drew $20,000 from the parish.
D&P celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007. It was also the 40th anniversary of the great Social Teaching Encyclical of the modern period, Populorum Progressio. People were invited to Micah House Share Lent Workshop – 40th anniversary of D&P Articles in newsletter informed about D&P work over the years, and invited people to became members of “Share Year Round” and gave D&P website for more information. Very often, we lapse into thinking in secularist categories that reduce the reality of our work for justice and peace, in fact by our membership in Development and Peace, we are drawn deeper and deeper into the heart of “the Whole Christ, head and members”.
There is a phenomenon in ginger-groups in the Church and other fraternities: the work tends to devolve into few hands. This pattern has not been overturned in the history of D & P at St. Ignatius; by 1997 the group number had been reduced to about 6 people on the committee.
Conclusion:
The material conditions and spiritual currents prevailing in the Church and the world have changed since the late 1960’s when St Ignatius’ D & P group had its initial stirrings. The Catholic Church worldwide of the late 60s and early 70s was undergoing a sociological, ideological and liturgical renversement as a consequence of the ways in which the Second Vatican Council was being implemented at all levels. This era represented the beginning of a period of optimism about self-actualization. It was an era of spirits: of the Psychedelic Age, of enhanced consciousness, of the good society proclaimed by the New Left, and of growing prosperity for many, and with that, increasing levels of consumption and credit. It was the age of The Cold War when the Allies who had together defeated Hitler were locked into two hostile ideologically opposed Camps. The baby-boomer generation grew up in this period, suspecting that the M.A.D. doctrine would end in a nuclear war and winter. Social philosopher Christopher Lasch called the succeeding period – the 1970s – “the me generation”. The social conscience was eclipsed in part by the retreat from 60s simplicity and openness into seeking completion in commodities, the collective state, and selfishness. But the 80’s and 90s also saw the birth of a free S. Africa, the collapse of The Berlin Wall in 1989, and the end of the Cold War. Two wars in Iraq have followed – with 9/11 as a marker between them -- and we debate the meanings of the phenomena of terrorism and “pre-emptive war”, as we face the reality of ecological damage to ‘this fragile earth, our island home’.
Through all the changes and chances of this perilous life, Development and Peace has attempted to faithfully respond to the call to solidarity and sharing, a sharing that knows no frontier and is rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ, “that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich”
APPENDIX
The Peace Group
Began in 1980-81 – a faith-based response to the nuclear threat.
I. ORIGINS AND PURPOSE
Peace group originated in 1980-81 as a response to concern about the nuclear threat. This concern was catalyzed by the Helen Caldicott film, "If You Love This Planet." It was the age of massive escalation of the nuclear arsenal by Reagan’s administration, of the Greenham Common womens’ protest of the UK government’s housing of US Cruise Missiles, and of the giant Peace Marches throughout Europe and the Americas. Many activities which had been organized to oppose the nuclear threat lacked a basis in faith in God. The need to have an explicit orientation in faith prompted Fr. McGrath to organize the Peace Group. Originally the group had 7-8 members who focused on the nuclear issue through prayer and discussion. The focus of the group evolved over time into a search for inner peace and. a lack of fear.
The goals of the Peace Group were to facilitate personal growth and development through learning to share, to be open, and to trust in the group. Their motto was, "There's no peace in that group!" Meetings were held Wednesday evenings at Abba House and duration varied widely: meetings lasted anywhere from 1-1/2 hours to 5 or 6 hours. Usually 4-6 people attend meetings. All are parishioners. Most were women.
Meetings were informal. They included meditation, reflection, and the discussion of personal and peace related issues, the sharing of dreams, and mutual support. Decisions affecting the group are made by consensus.
Other than meetings there were conferences, retreats, pickets and demonstrations, sponsorship of the World Congress on Communication for Development Peace March, a founding membership of WCCD, and the donation of time to Project Peacemakers and Witness for Peace.
The Peace Group sponsored the Easter Fast and Vigil for peace. Members served as a valuable resource in the parish and city as a knowledgeable resource on disarmament issues. They give seminars and lectures on peace related issues at various locations around the city. The Group sponsored and supported a number of local and national peace related petitions and initiatives, such as their October 1987 Novena for peace when about 25 people joined at 7:45 to pray the Rosary for world peace. Through their efforts and experiences Peace Group Members report learning to be sensitive to both their own needs and to those of others, as well as to learn the value of suffering.
Much of the information about D&P from 1997 to 2008 comes from articles prepared by Andre Goussaert once or twice a year for the Parish news letter. In these articles he reported on the work of D&P around the world, how the donations of Canadian Catholics have been used to support partners in places of need – creating solidarity between Christians in Canada and people around the world in need. This helps to meet the objectives of the Canadian Catholic Bishops when they established D&P in 1967: to make us aware that many people are deprived of the most basic rights to sustain human life and to provide for us ways and means to make our world better.
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