MONTREAL (LifeSiteNews) — Quebec Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberge revealed that the province plans to ban prayer in public places.
In an August 28 statement posted on X, Roberge announced that he will introduce legislation to prohibit public prayer after Muslim groups have begun publicly praying in Quebec streets and parks.
“The proliferation of street prayers is a serious and sensitive issue in Quebec,” Roberge wrote, adding that Premier François Legault raised the issue of ending public prayer in December.
“The Premier of Quebec has given me the mandate to strengthen secularism, and I am firmly committed to fulfilling this mandate diligently,” he continued. “Thanks to the reflections conducted in caucus and the committee’s report, our deliberations on several aspects of secularism are well advanced.”
“This fall, we will therefore table a bill to strengthen secularism in Quebec, including by prohibiting street prayers,” Roberge declared.
Roberge’s announcement has been met with harsh criticism by both Muslims and Canadians, who foresee the law being used to implement further restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom to worship.
While the proposed legislation is currently aimed at Muslim groups, it will apply to all religions. Quebec was historically known as Canada’s most Catholic province, with many churches leading Eucharistic processions through the streets of Quebec on various feasts.
The details of the legislation have not yet been released. However, the government has indicated that they are prepared to use the notwithstanding clause to uphold the ban.
Campaign Life Coalition’s Jack Fonseca warned, “I suspect the real goal of the current atheist, Marxist government is probably to drive Christianity out of Quebec society once and for all, and essentially, to make the public expression of belief in Jesus Christ illegal. After all, a law banning all public prayer would also criminalize Good Friday processions, traditional Corpus Christi processions and public rosary events.”
“It will also negatively affect pro-lifers,” he told LifeSiteNews. “Think about the 40 Days For Life campaign to end abortion, which involves praying on public property near abortuaries. So, the pro-life movement is also a target.”
Fonseca added that Roberge has also revealed that the new law was “encouraged by a recent 288-page committee report in which the term ‘anti-choice’ (meaning pro-life) appears seven times. On page 11, it even recommends ‘cutting off funding’ for pro-life groups.”
“So, we definitely anticipate that the proposed law will target Quebec Christians and pro-lifers with even more aggressive and unconstitutional discrimination than they’re already facing,” he warned.
This is hardly the first time that the Quebec government has restricted freedom of religion and speech. In March 2024, LifeSiteNews reported that Quebec’s highest court upheld the province’s secularism law that bans civil servants from wearing religious symbols at work.
