MONTREAL (LifeSiteNews) — Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine condemned Quebec’s proposed prayer ban, comparing it to forbidding thought.
In a September 2 letter posted on the diocesan website, Archbishop Lépine warned against proposed legislation that would ban prayer in public places in Quebec, including historical French Catholic processions.
“Prayer, in its simplest form, is an inner impulse,” he wrote. “It is a thought turned toward God who is goodness, a presence in the world, a way of seeking peace. However, some recent proposals to ban public prayer raise serious concerns about respect for fundamental freedoms in a democratic society.”
In August, Quebec announced that it plans to ban prayer in pubic places, after Muslim groups have begun publicly praying in Quebec streets and parks. The details of the legislation have not yet been released. However, the government has indicated that it is prepared to use the notwithstanding clause to uphold the ban.
In addition to the legal and constitutional challenges of a prayer ban, Archbishop Lépine questioned how a government would regulate the internal thoughts of a person to determine if they constitute prayer.
“How can we distinguish a prayer from a moment of silence or contemplation?” he asked. “How can we legislate on an intention, a murmur, an inner thought? And above all, who would decide what is prayer and what is not? Such a ban could only be applied at the cost of arbitrariness and would fuel mistrust and prejudice.”
Furthermore, the archbishop warned that the ban would undermine historic Catholic traditions, such as processions that have been a part of Quebec’s history for centuries.
“It would jeopardize deeply rooted traditions in Quebec: the March of Forgiveness, Corpus Christi, the Stations of the Cross, the Palm Sunday March, and the Peace March,” he said. “These events, which take place in an orderly and dignified manner, are places of encounter and dialogue. Banning public prayer would jeopardize their very existence.”
Archbishop Lépine stressed that even a secular government has a duty to uphold that values and beliefs of its citizens, adding that, “But it does not require the public erasure of faith in society—quite the opposite. Confusing state neutrality with the neutralization of society would lead to serious regression.”
“In a world gripped by economic, social, and environmental crises, is it in our best interest to discourage actions that foster hope and solidarity?” he concluded. “Ultimately, isn’t banning public prayer a bit like banning thought?”
