By Glen Argan The mayor of Anchoraimes, Bolivia, Zenon Ramos Mamani, did lay it on thick. Our visit of 14 Development and Peace supporters from Alberta and Manitoba to his municipality in mid-August, he said, “will go down in municipal history as a good date to remember.” The central government of Bolivia, based a couple of hours away in La
Read more(From The Catholic Register, http://www.catholicregister.org, issue of June 25, 2017) Mustard Seed By Glen Argan So striking in Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations is the lack of the exuberance which marked our centennial in 1967. Fifty years ago, every village, town and city had a centennial project which, in some way, expressed its hope for an even better future. Hundreds of
Read more(Originally published in The Catholic Register, Toronto, http://www.catholicregister.org.) By Glen Argan The global arms trade is a peculiar form of commerce. If, for example, you own an ice cream stand, all customers are welcome. You would sell your ice cream to your worst enemy without qualms. However, nations are more selective when it comes to selling weapons. They are keen
Read moreBy Glen Argan I give Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall full marks for invoking the notwithstanding clause to protect Catholic schools in that province as well as the government’s right to fund the education of non-Catholic students attending those schools. A government that so openly and strongly defends Catholic education is a thing to be cherished in this era of militant
Read moreBy Glen Argan For decades, I have been hearing that Catholic schools in Alberta face an imminent threat to their existence. Having never seen such a threat materialize, I remained skeptical. There have always been those who want to drive Christianity out of, not only the school system, but the public square itself. However, those who held power in this
Read moreBy Glen Argan The April 7 U.S. attack on a Syrian military airfield again raises the question of who is Donald Trump and what does he stand for. Is he a sterling white knight who has ridden to the rescue of beautiful Syrian babies killed in an alleged poison gas attack three days earlier? Is he a chameleon who will
Read moreBy Glen Argan After two rather ignominious defeats, the supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump may be inclined to argue that democracy is being thwarted. After all, Trump was elected in November promising to kill so-called Obamacare and to keep Muslims out of the country. However, the promise to kill Obamacare has itself been sent to an early grave by
Read moreBy Glen Argan A year and a half ago during our happy trek across northern Spain known as the Camino de Santiago, we encountered a few heavy rainfalls. The worst was the last day’s walk into Santiago de Compostella when we got thoroughly drenched. During all this, I took care to keep my passport in the best of condition. Alas,
Read moreBy Glen Argan Words such as “Islamophobia,” “homophobia” and other invented “phobias” of the day, in my opinion, assume too much. They assume people become bigoted thugs because they are afraid of Muslims, gays or whomever. It reminds of the time that a woman interjected into a serious discussion of some matter which I have forgotten and began shouting, “It’s
Read moreBy Glen Argan About 18 months ago, Nora and I headed off on our walking pilgrimage across northern Spain, the Camino de Santiago. I don’t use the word “pilgrimage” lightly for, although it was a journey that was both physical and spiritual, we went on the Camino as a renewal of faith. Part of that renewal included the gathering of
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On the Threshold 