Montreal Archbishop advocates for Coexistence Amidst Proposed Prayer Restrictions
Montreal archbishop Christian Lépine is urging the Quebec government to reconsider proposed restrictions on public prayer, arguing that diverse cultures and beliefs can coexist peacefully. The debate stems from concerns over disruptions caused by religious gatherings in public spaces, particularly in downtown Montreal.
Lépine recently penned a letter to Premier François Legault, framing a potential ban on public prayer as a restriction on thought itself. He argued that prayer is a fundamental expression of belief, akin to internal thought processes. Georges Buscemi,president of the Quebec Life Coalition,believes Lépine strategically tailored his argument to resonate with a secular audience perhaps open to compromise. “Likening prayer to thought and banning prayer to banning thought was an argument that was appropriate for a secular audience,” Buscemi explained. “He knows he is dealing with a opposed audience, in general, in Quebec, particularly the parts of the quebec government planning these restrictions. He’s trying to find some middle ground with them.”
The proposed restrictions have drawn criticism from various religious denominations, civil rights groups, and activists. However,Montreal Rabbi Reuben Poupko offered a dissenting view,expressing sympathy for the desire to limit public prayer due to disruptions experienced in recent years. “When religion is weaponized to disrupt life in downtown Montreal, as it has been persistently for the last couple of years, and citizens are increasingly outraged by the disruption to their lives, and businesses are disrupted, and business owners are complaining about the inability of customers to enter their facilities, it’s hard not to sympathize with a desire to restrict the use of prayer in a public setting,” Poupko stated.
In response, Lépine suggested that public prayer gatherings, categorized as manifestations, should be subject to clearer regulations. He emphasized the need for city approval, security presence, and internal regulation to ensure context and peaceful conduct. “there are rules for a public manifestation,” Lépine said. “You need the agreement of the city, and you need the presence of security for overall peace. And need someone internally to regulate and accompany the manifestation so that it’s clear to everyone that there is a context (to the) slogans,praying or yelling.”
Despite a perceived rise in secularism within the province, Lépine remains optimistic about the enduring human search for meaning. He noted a ”conspiracy of silence in matters pertaining to God,” occurring together with a growing “thirst for God, for meaning in life and for the absolute.” This observation was reinforced during the Jubilee for Young Adults in Rome in late July and early August, where he met a 20-year-old French Canadian who felt called to join the Pope and 500,000 other young adults seeking deeper spiritual connection.
“Whether or not they are recognized by mainstream media or society, we need to be there for the young adults searching for meaning in their life,” Lépine concluded. “We need to keep our doors open as Christians.”
(Amundson is a staff writer for The catholic Register.)
