By Dr. Robert Hickson, Sr. Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M., Br. André Marie, M.I.C.M., Mr. Gary Potter, Mr. Yves Jacques, Mr. Charles Coulombe, Mr. Brian Kelly, and Mr. C. Joseph Doyle
Theme: What Do 'Liberal' and 'Conservative' Mean?
The Panel Discussion with the speakers lasted an hour and a half, yet it seemed to fly by in minutes due to the variety of subjects that were addressed and the skill of the moderator, Charles Coulombe, in keeping the Qs and As moving right along with his spontaneous humor and flair for anecdote. The audience had written their questions down and Mr. Coulombe picked the more relevant ones that gave the speakers a chance to elaborate on what they had expounded upon in their hour-long presentations. Sometimes speakers were put on the spot to clarify what was unclear in their talks. The questions were well thought out, provocative to be sure, yet respectful. They dealt more often with the practical side of things as well they might: such as how can parents pass on a Catholic culture that they never had and are themselves still in the nurturing stage? Brother André stressed, once again, that fathers need to take charge of the family and be part of their children’s education in the home. Homeschooling, by the way, was discussed, pros and cons. Gary Potter had a chance to elaborate on how Catholics can participate in “other causes” such as fighting on the local level for a cleaner environment and issue of real “work” as opposed to an economy that is based on “jobs.” This is what bringing Christ “to the marketplace” is all about. Yves Jacques was able to give more information on Social Credit. Dr. Hickson raised the point of grace and the “supernatural common good.” Many speakers added to Sister Maria Philomena’s points about the necessity of a liberal education. The discussion ended with reflection on the very real possibility that members of the Church militant could face martyrdom in the years to come, and, even now, we can live a dry form of martyrdom in “giving testimony” at a time when it seems the whole world is against us.
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