Canadian Catholic News/CNA
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
The Quebec government’s call for a ban on all public prayer raises “serious concerns” about a democratic society’s fundamental freedoms, Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine said in a public letter. Such a ban would discourage gestures fostering hope and solidarity in a world already “shaken” by so many crises – economic, social, and environmental, the archbishop said. Lépine said the proposal by Quebec Premier François Legault to end prayer in public places goes squarely against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Quebec’s own Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
