Les Canadiennes et Canadiens subissent les effets dévastateurs de la COVID-19 dans une crise qui connaît désormais une évolution rapide. Cette crise, c’est bien compréhensible, provoque des sentiments d’angoisse, d’appréhension et de peur. Des dimensions essentielles de notre quotidien font maintenant l’objet d’incertitudes : la santé, l’emploi, la sécurité financière, les loisirs, ainsi que notre capacité à se rassembler pour prier. Dans ce contexte difficile, en tant que leaders religieux, nous voulons proposer à toutes …

Canadians are experiencing the devastating impact of COVID-19 in what has become a rapidly evolving crisis. Understandably, this crisis has brought about feelings of anxiety, apprehension and fear. Critical elements of our daily lives are being thrown into uncertainty: health, employment, financial security, recreational activities, as well as our ability to gather as worshiping communities. In view of these difficulties, we as religious leaders wish to bring forward a message of hope, gratitude and solidarity …

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4) As representatives of Regional Ecumenical Organizations and the World Council of Churches, we share the challenges that our communities around the world are facing due to the corona- virus, COVID-19. …

Today the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak (the new coronavirus) to be a global pandemic. In this situation as in others, The Canadian Council of Churches seeks to respond to Christ’s call for both compassion and community. We appeal to our member churches and other faith communities across Canada to respond to COVID-19 with an abundance of love and precaution, and to follow best practices as recommended by both federal and provincial medical …

Dear Minister Ambrose, I am writing to ask about the future of public health care in Canada now that Canada’s Health Accord has not been renewed. The Canadian Council of Churches is the largest ecumenical body in Canada, now representing 25 churches of Anglican, Eastern and Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Free Church, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, and Historic Protestant traditions; this is 85% of Christians in Canada who profess adherence to a church. The Canadian Council …

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Aware of the current passionate debates concerning health care reform in the U.S.A., I write to you today to share some of our experiences and reflections in similar debates that have taken place, and continue to take place, in Canada. While we have been following the American health care debate with interest, our hope is that our own work on the topic might be of some service to you. …

Dear Prime Minister Harper: In a letter addressed to you earlier this year on May 8, the national leaders of the Canadian Council of Churches expressed their concern about the human impact of the global AIDS pandemic, and urged you to announce several initiatives when the government addressed the UN General Assembly, the G8 Summit and the International AIDS Conference. While we were disappointed that you decided not to attend the Toronto Conference, we were …

Monsieur le Premier ministre: Dans une lettre qu’ils vous adressaient le 8 mai dernier, les dirigeants nationaux du Conseil canadien des Églises exprimaient leurs inquiétudes au sujet de l’impact humain de la pandémie mondiale du sida et vous demandaient instamment d’annoncer plusieurs initiatives lors de l’intervention du gouvernement à l’assemblée générale des Nations Unies, au Sommet du G8 et à la Conférence internationale sur le sida. Tout en étant déçus de votre décision de ne …

Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to follow-up on our May 8 church leaders’ letter to you on the subject of HIV/AIDS. Thank you for referring our letter to the Minister for International Cooperation. At a recent meeting of the Governing Board of the Canadian Council of Churches, member churches resolved to strengthen their own commitment to addressing the AIDS pandemic. Please find a copy of our resolution attached. In relation to the points made …

Dear Minister Clement, We bring warm greetings to you on behalf of the Ecumenical Health Care Network. Churches have historically played a role in providing health care and members of the Ecumenical Health Care Network continue to be involved in health care. The Ecumenical Health Care Network also contributes to public policy discussions about health care. We have submitted briefs to The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology and to the Royal …

Excellency: Attached, please find a copy of a recent letter from the Canadian Council of Churches addressed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Since this letter represents the combined wisdom of the member churches of the Canadian Council of Churches we thought the content of the letter, responding to the HIV AIDS pandemic, might interest you. The Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) is the largest ecumenical body in Canada, now representing 20 churches of Anglican, Eastern …

In a letter to the Prime Minister sent this week, Canadian church leaders listed six Canadian initiatives that would make a substantial difference in the HIV and AIDS crisis. These included debt cancellation, untying debt remission from conditions that diminish the provision of health care, a 5% contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, and changes to Canada’s pharmaceutical laws. Canada has three important opportunities to demonstrate leadership on the HIV …

Monsieur le Premier ministre, En tant que dirigeants nationaux d’Églises canadiennes et membres du Conseil canadien des Églises, nous sommes extrêmement préoccupés par l’impact humain de la pandémie du SIDA. Plus de 40 millions de personnes sont actuellement infectées par le VIH, tandis que l’an dernier, le SIDA faisait plus de 3 millions de victimes. Quinze millions d’enfants sont orphelins à cause du SIDA. Voilà des statistiques qui illustrent de façon éloquente le coût humain …

Dear Prime Minister Harper: As national leaders of Canadian Churches and members of the Canadian Council of Churches, we are extremely concerned about the human impact of the global AIDS pandemic. Currently more than 40 million people are infected with HIV. Last year, over 3 million people died as a result of AIDS. There are 15 million child orphans because of AIDS. These statistics speak powerfully to the human cost. Our first response to the …

Monsieur le Premier ministre, Nous constatons avec inquiétude que, presque un mois après que le gouvernement de l’Alberta a annoncé sa proposition en 10 points de « Renouvellement des soins de santé », votre gouvernement n’a pas encore exprimé sans équivoque son intention de défendre et de faire respecter la Loi canadienne sur la santé. Une des propositions de renouvellement permettrait aux médecins de travailler en même temps dans les systèmes de santé public et …

Dear Prime Minister Harper, We are very concerned that almost one month after the Government of Alberta announced its 10 point proposal for “Health Care Renewal” your government has not stated unequivocally your intention to defend and enforce the Canada Health Act. One of the Alberta proposals for renewal would allow physicians to work in both the public and private health care systems at the same time. This would clearly be a violation of the …

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” 1 Corinthians 12: 12-26 Ecumenical Health Care Network The Ecumenical Health Care Network (EHCN) is a coalition that reflects the perspective of many Churches in Canada in relation to health care. We are part of the Canadian Council of Churches as representatives from the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Salvation Army and United Church of Canada. …

The “Moral Enterprise” of Health Care Demands a Covenant The first of 47 recommendations made in the final report of the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (released on November 28, 2002) urged the federal government to “…establish a new Canadian Health Covenant as a tangible statement of Canadians’ values and a guiding force for our publicly funded health care system.” Notably, this was also the major recommendation made by the Ecumenical …

The need for accountability and transparency The creation of an independent council to inform Canadians on health care matters while promoting accountability and transparency was among the central recommendations of the Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (November 2002). In September of 2003 the Health Council of Canada was established by the Prime Minister and the Premiers in their Accord on Health Care Renewal. Its role was enhanced in the Ten …

In its submission to the Romanow Commission, the Ecumenical Health Care Network noted that an increasing number of Canadians are now receiving care at home, and called for the creation of a national home care program. In his final report, Mr. Romanow recommended that the needs of people receiving care in the home be recognized by creating the foundation for a national home care system, beginning with: support for home mental health case manage- ment …

A need for long term stability and predictability Funding issues have dominated discussions of health care for some time. Leading up to the publishing of the Romanow report, there were loud and persistent claims about the doubtful sustainability of medicare, about more private funding being desirable, and about the need for more money to the provinces from the federal government. Where are we …

For-profit health care delivery threatens to undermine Medicare In his final report, Building on Values: The Future of Health Care in Canada, delivered to Parliament in November 2002, Commissioner Roy Romanow was very clear in rejecting for-profit delivery of health care. The Commission states that “direct health care services should be delivered in public and not-for-profit health care facilities.” In rejecting privatization or a for-profit model of sustaining the health care system, Romanow reiterated the …

La prestation de soins de santé à but lucratif menace de saper l’assurance-maladie Dans son rapport final, Guidé par nos valeurs : Les soins de santé au Canada, présenté au Parlement le 28 novembre 2002, le commissaire Roy Romanow rejette très nettement la prestation de soins de santé à but lucratif. La Commission déclare que « les services directs devraient être dispensés principalement par notre système public sans but lucratif. » En rejetant la privatisation …

« L’ entreprise morale » des soins de santé exige une alliance :es 47 premières recommandations du rapport de la Commission sur l’avenir des soins de santé au Canada (publié le 28 novembre 2002) pressaient le gouvernement fédéral « d’établir un nouveau Pacte canadien sur la santé qui serait l’énoncé concret des valeurs des Canadiens et le principe directeur de notre système de santé financé par l’État. » Signalons qu’il s’agissait de la principale recommandation …

Dans son mémoire à la Commission Romanow, le Réseau œcuménique sur les soins de santé, faisant observer que de plus en plus de Canadiens et Canadiennes reçoivent des services à domicile, réclamait la création d’un programme national de soins à domicile qui commenceraient par : l’aide aux services de gestion et d’intervention à domicile; les soins post-aigus à domicile; les soins palliatifs à domicile, car « tout Canadien devrait avoir le choix de mourir chez …

Intégration des médica- ments d’ordonnance dans le système de soins de santé du Canada Dans son mémoire à la Commission Romanow, De Réseau œcuménique sur les soins de santé recommandait que les médicaments d’ordonnance soient reconnus comme une composante entièrement financée de l’assurance- maladie. La Commission relève les disparités considérables, au Canada, dans le remboursement des coûts élevés des médicaments d’ordonnance. En première réaction au problème, M. Romanow recommande la création d’un Transfert au titre …

Pour répondre à l’exigence de responsabilité et de transparence Lors d’audiences tenues à travers le pays, la Commission sur l’avenir des soins de santé au Canada s’est fait constamment répéter que les conflits et la méfiance entre gouvernements étaient devenus de graves obstacles au fonctionnement souple et à la pérennité de l’assurance-maladie. La Commission a réagi en recommandant de créer un conseil national de la santé chargé de faciliter la coopération et d’assumer un leadership …

Un besoin de stabilité et de prévisibilité à long terme Les questions de financement dominent depuis quelque temps les discussions entourant les soins de santé. La publication du rapport Romanow a été précédée de vifs échanges sur la viabilité douteuse de l’assurance-maladie, sur l’opportunité de faire une plus grande place au financement privé et sur le besoin des provinces de recevoir plus d’argent du gouvernement. Où en …

Integrating prescription drugs into Canada’s health care system In its submission to the Romanow Commission in May 2002, the Ecumenical Health Care Network recommended that prescription drugs be included as a fully funded component of medicare. The Commission noted the wide disparities across Canada in coverage for the high cost of prescription drugs. As an initial response to this problem, Mr. Romanow has recommended the creation of a Catastrophic Drug Transfer. Under this proposed new …

The Challenge It’s not exactly a neglected topic, is it? Health care in Canada is the subject of more federal-provincial conferences, more newspaper ink, more political campaign threats and promises, and more media noise than any other issue of public policy. It’s easy to provide frightening statistics about what health care costs in Canada. In provincial and territorial budgets, health care trumps every other public expenditure, sometimes consuming close to 50% of programme costs1. Through …

Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Accompanying our best wishes, we wish to send our sincere congratulations, as you became Prime Minister of Canada last month. This great responsibility brings with it the possibility of achieving tremendous good for Canadians and many other persons around the world. We pray that God’s blessings are with you as you assume this demanding new role. As leaders of Canada’s major Christian Churches, we write to you today concerning one of …

Cher Monsieur le Premier ministre, Alors que vous assumez maintenant la charge de Premier ministre du Canada, nous désirons vous exprimer, en même temps que nos vœux de Bonne Année, nos plus sincères félicitations. Votre grande responsabilité comporte aussi la possibilité de réaliser un bien immense pour la population du Canada et pour de nombreuses personnes dans le monde. Nous prions Dieu de vous accorder sa bénédiction au moment où vous prenez sur vos épaules …

Dear Prime Minister Chrétien, We are writing to congratulate you and the First Ministers for having established, through the Health Accord, common ground on which to revive and expand this country’s public health care system. During the course of the Romanow Commission’s public consultations, our Ecumenical Health Care Network presented a brief at the Ottawa hearings, with a Health Care Covenant for all People in Canada at the heart of our presentation. We were pleased …

Dear Prime Minister Chrétien: Encouraged by your recent Speech from the Throne, “The Canada We Want” in which you outline the plans for your government in the next few years, I am writing to request an appointment for a delegation of church leaders to meet with you regarding the future of health care in Canada. Safeguarding the well being of people by addressing their needs – particularly of poor children and health care services for …

Dear Minister McLellan, I am writing to you on behalf of the Ecumenical Health Care Network, an initiative of the Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission on Justice and Peace. Members of our Commission take a deep interest in the current discussions about the future of health care in Canada. Many of our members and affiliated organizations are involved in the provision of health care services. We are also actively participating in public discussions about preserving …

Le Réseau œcuménique sur les soins de santé est un projet de la Commission Justice et Paix du Conseil canadien des Églises. Il est formé de représentants de la Conférence des évêques catholiques du Canada, de l’Église anglicane du Canada, de l’Église évangélique luthérienne du Canada, de l’Église presbytérienne du Canada, de l’Église unie du Canada, de l’Association catholique canadienne de la santé et de Kairos : Initiatives canadiennes œcuméniques pour la justice. Dans une …

The Ecumenical Health Care Network is a project of the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Canadian Council of Churches. The Network includes representatives from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the United Church of Canada, the Canadian Catholic Health Association, and Kairos: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. In May of 2000, in a letter to then Health Minister …

Churches have been involved in the provision of health care services in Canada since the mid 17th century. In terms of health care institutions, the Augustines Hospitalières founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec in 1639. Many other religious groups comprised especially of religious women and Christian laypersons have been in the forefront of every effort against disease that this country has known. What explains such active involvement in health care? The main reason for this commitment …

A Health Care Covenant For All People in Canada Through government, we in Canada pledge to: Universal Access, Comprehensiveness and Portability • provide access to comprehensive health care services for individuals, families and communities that places the priority on the worth and dignity of the whole person and their biological, emotional, physical, environmental, social and spiritual needs wherever they may be in Canada; Social Solidarity and Justice • uphold a health care system through which …

Sommaire du rapport Le 28 février dernier, le Réseau œcuménique sur les soins de santé tenait, sur la Colline parlementaire, un forum extraordinaire sur l’avenir des soins de santé au Canada. Y ont participé une bonne centaine de dirigeants religieux, de fournisseurs et de professionnels des soins de santé, ainsi que des politiciens et des représentants d’organismes reliés au monde communautaire et à celui du travail. Le Forum s’est concentré sur les visions et les …

Executive Summary The Ecumenical Health Care Network convened a special Forum on the Future of Health Care in Canada on Parliament Hill on February 28, 2002. Over 100 religious leaders, church based health care providers and professionals, as well as politicians and representatives from community and labour organizations attended. The Forum focused on the values and visions for the future of health care. Participants agreed Canada’s system needs to be preserved and strengthened based upon …

Introduction J’apprécie l’occasion qui m’est offerte de commenter, au nom du Réseau œcuménique sur les soins de santé de la Commission Justice et Paix du Conseil canadien des Églises, certaines des options proposées par le présent Comité sénatorial dans Volume quatre 4, questions et options. Les Églises du Canada ont toujours contribué à l’élaboration du système de soins de santé financé et administré par l’État, en tant que pourvoyeuses de services (hôpitaux religieux, foyers pour …

Introduction On behalf of the Ecumenical Health Care Network of the Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission on Justice and Peace, I appreciate this opportunity to comment on some of the Options being suggested by this Senate Committee in Volume 4, Issues & Options. Historically, Canadian churches have contributed to the development of Canada’s publicly funded and administered health care system, as service providers (eg. religious hospitals, homes for the chronically ill and aged, programs for …