François Legault shared on Twitter the chronicle of Mathieu Bock-Côté praising Quebec’s Catholic heritage, sowing controversy. If we understand the substance of Legault’s thought, which spoke of solidarity, he missed a great opportunity to abstain.
As premier of Quebec, he represents the Quebec state that we want to be secular. This type of talk creates confusion.
bad timing
It is true that we cannot deny the social and cultural baggage left to us by several centuries of clerical dominance in our country. Yes, we cannot sweep away our history and we must be able to be proud of collectively building on the achievements of this past. However, the moment and the manner are badly chosen.
The shift that Quebec is accelerating towards full secularism in the state thanks to Bill 21 is necessary.
It is in continuity with our history and with the will of Quebecers to get rid of the yoke and influence of religious leaders and dictates, whatever they may be.
If the Church allowed the French-Canadian people to survive in America, this influence was also unhealthy, degrading for women, homosexuals, oppressive for the population which, moreover, was poorly educated and kept in a form of alienation towards modernity.
Freedom from religion
Quebec has chosen to confront its religious past and free itself from it. We proclaim loud and clear the secularism of the State to offer one of the most progressive societies in the world, promoting real equality between women and men, plural and open to all differences.
This turn is brave. It is essential to have a coherent discourse and to put all religions on an equal footing, outside of discourse and public space.
That the highest leaders of Quebec praise the legacies of Catholicism is totally incoherent.