January 13, 2013. (Romereports.com) Like its American counterpart, the Canadian Catholic Church is rapidly changing. Secularism is on the rise and the church often finds itself at odds with a fast changing society.

As the head of the largest Catholic diocese, in the largest city, in the country, Cardinal Thomas Collins finds himself in the front lines of change.

CARD. THOMAS COLLINS
Archbishop of Toronto (Canada)
“People, especially if they some have material prosperity, they begin to forget the need for God and they begin to have a false sense, an illusion, of self sufficiency, and that could become a great problem.”

Among the wealthiest people around the world, Canadian society is also among the most liberal. Despite its strong Christian tradition, the country legalized abortion and gay marriage.

In such an environment, Cardinal Collins admits the Church faces an uphill battle for relevance. But he's convinced the way to fight secularization is to embrace and strengthen one of the Catholic Church's most basic tenets, the family.

CARD. THOMAS COLLINS
Archbishop of Toronto (Canada)
“We have marriage preparation groups, marriage encounters, engaged encounters groups like that. But I think the Church can sponsor things like that that help people have a sense of community and a sense of the foundation of faith that must be at the basis of the family.”

Cardinal Collins says dioceses can also offset the effects of secularism by reaching out to people that have fallen away from the Church and unite them with active parishioners.

He describes the strategy through his cardinal ring, with the images of St. Paul and St. Peter. Paul is the apostle to those who have strayed away from the Church, while Peter is the pastor of those close to it.


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