Quebec bill would ban public prayer

Quebec leaders are moving ahead with another plan to limit public expressions of faith, even as critics warn the province is trampling basic freedoms.

The government introduced Bill 9 late last month, which would bar public prayer, increase restrictions on religious symbols and cut off funding for religious schools.

The legislation comes from Quebec’s Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberge, a role the province created to advance its strict model of secularism. He said the province must update its rules because residents have changed since earlier limits took effect.

“Quebecers have advanced since 2019, which means it is necessary to strengthen our model of secularism,” Roberge told reporters, according to LifeSiteNews. He also called the bill “ambitious, but moderate.”

Quebec already bans teachers, police, judges and other government employees from wearing visible religious items. Earlier this year, the province broadened this rule to include every school employee, meaning even a small crucifix necklace could violate the law in a Catholic school.

Bill 9 goes further by banning prayer rooms in public buildings, blocking religious symbols from official communications and applying clothing restrictions to workers in daycares, universities and other institutions. 

The proposal arrives after reports that some Muslim groups prayed in public parks and streets over the summer. In response, the government began exploring a blanket prohibition on public prayer. 

Under the new plan, the province would invoke Canada’s “notwithstanding clause” – which allows for temporary laws “that are likely to violate fundamental rights and freedoms” – in order to stop legal challenges before they start, indicating the government expects strong opposition from religious communities. 

Premier François Legault supports the measure and has said his province faces risks from “radical Islamists.” 

Faith leaders in Quebec say the measure goes much too far. Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine warned limiting prayer in public settings touches the core of human freedom. 

“Prayer, in its simplest form, is an inner impulse,” Lépine 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.” 

Supporters of religious liberty say the legislation treats expressions of faith as a problem to control rather than a normal part of civic life. They argue a government confident in its values would not fear citizens who quietly practice their faith in public.