Letter to Bishop Henry (Calgary) June 27, 2006

note: this is a letter I wrote to Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary in response to his decision to threaten the Calgary Catholic School Board over its support for casino and other gambling as part of their fundraising.

Bishop Henry,

I'm sure the irony is lost on you but I'll point it out anyway. You rail against the use of gambling monies to support Catholic education in Calgary, but you don't seem to be above a little extortion. What were you saying about the end not justifying the means?

It is truly your place to point out the social problems inherent in gambling and that this is problematic from a Catholic perspective and this includes all gambling from bingo nights to lottery tickets to casinos. It is not, however, your place to coerce elected officials who preside over a constitutionally guaranteed school system.

Like many of your causes, sir, your positions are based on power and politics, not doctrine or faith and in your tactics you seem more inclined to bully rather than finesse. In this instance you dismiss the Catholic position on gambling out of hand because it does not fit with your politics. What example are you setting for students and the faithful when you write that the School Board has "failed to appreciate the power" you wield? Or how are children to interpret your threat to up the ante when you write "other consequences will be forthcoming" if the school board does not agree with you? What's next, do you threaten to excommunicate the trustees if you don't get your way?

Bishop, you do not have to support the Calgary Catholic School Board but this school board existed before you and I'll wager it will continue to exist long after you've gone.

Finally it is not surprising that you ordered the school board, schools and parent councils to get of all gambling but you do not offer one penny to help offset the loss of funds this would create. No doubt your response will be to raise taxes or increase tithes, such as they are.

After watching and listening to you for so long I can only say that you truly are a man out of time, that you would be better suited to the 17th Century rather than 21st.

Phil Courterelle


"When the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power,"Alston Chase.