<\/p>\n\n
Press Release<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Montreal, April\u202f3, 2026 \u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u202fFollowing the adoption of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Act respecting the reinforcement of laicity in Qu\u00e9bec<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> The State plays\u202fan\u202fimportant\u202fand legitimate\u202frole\u202fin the organization of public life. That role, however, calls for\u202fmaintaining\u202fa\u202ffair\u202fbalance between the principles of secularism and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n “We receive this decision with\u202fsincere consideration\u202fand respect, and with the conviction that it remains essential for us, as a society, to continue reflecting together on the place of religious expression in our shared public life, so that we may overcome prejudice and promote tolerance,” said Archbishop\u202fL\u00e9pine.\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n In this context, the Archbishop recalls that all religious faith and deeply held conviction \u2014 including atheism \u2014 is a matter of individual conscience and must be respected and protected. To restrict prayer to the private sphere is to reduce the space of freedom for society as a whole. The freedom to manifest one’s faith, alone or in community, in private and in public, is recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948, art. 18), the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (1976, art. 3), and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982, art. 2a). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n “The hallmark of a democratic society is its ability to welcome a plurality of convictions and allow their expression in a spirit of respect for all,” Archbishop\u202fL\u00e9pine\u202fsaid.\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n For many years, the Archdiocese of Montreal has maintained a harmonious relationship with municipal authorities and police services. This collaboration has always been grounded in a spirit of responsibility, adherence to shared rules, and commitment to public safety and the common good. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n “We have always enjoyed cordial relations with municipalities, and we sincerely hope that this spirit of collaboration will continue in this new context,” he added.\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n The\u202fArchbishop\u202falso wishes to acknowledge the\u202fimportant role\u202fplayed by law enforcement in ensuring the safe and peaceful conduct of religious events. The Palm Sunday procession, held this past Saturday, brought together several thousand people in an atmosphere of peace and reverence.\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n “This gathering unfolded with calm and\u202frespect, thanks in great measure to an excellent collaboration with police, whom we warmly thank,” Archbishop\u202fL\u00e9pine\u202fsaid.\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n The Archdiocese of Montreal reaffirms its commitment to Quebec society, its respect for the rule of law, and its determination to pursue its mission while calling for constructive dialogue that fosters respectful coexistence among diverse religions and convictions.\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n -30- <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n Source : <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Archdiocese of Montreal <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Press Release For Immediate Release Adoption of the Act to Reinforce Secularism in Quebec:\u202f\u202f A Call for the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nouvelle"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nFor Immediate Release<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n
\nAdoption of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Act to Reinforce Secularism in Quebec<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u202f\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nA Call for the Continuation of Respectful Dialogue and the Preservation of Fundamental Freedoms\u202f<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n\n
\n(formerly Bill 9), the Archbishop of Montreal, Most Reverend Christian L\u00e9pine, acknowledges this decision while expressing serious concerns, particularly regarding the practice of prayer in public spaces. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n
\nFor further information : <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Maribel Mayorga <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nPress\u202fOfficer, Archbishop\u2019s Office\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nDirector, Communications and Media Relations\u202f\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nTelephone: 514-925-4300, ext. 207\u202f\u202f <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nEmail:\u202f<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>mmayorga@diocesemontreal.org<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"