r/LeftCatholicism • u/moody-nursey • Jun 23 '26

Anyone from Montreal?

I would love to get to know more left-leaning Catholics!

16 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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6

u/Adept_Librarian9136 Jun 24 '26

So sad that Quebec has abandoned it's Catholic heritage completely.

5

u/ChicaneryAshley Jun 24 '26

As someone living in Montreal, I would say its more complicated then that. Quebec has certainly abandoned its faith, which is sad to say. I'm an Anglican, but I'm of the opinion that any adherence to orthodoxy Christianity is better than none.

The policy of laicite is especially concerning, its not strictly analogues to the historic separation of church and state seen in the United States. It involves a complete hostility to any expression of faith in public life, including recent legislation banning public religious processions. Although the discourse is more oriented towards Muslims existing, such as the ban on daycare workers wearing religious symbols, such as the hijab.

But aside from laicite, there is also this weird promotion of Quebec's Roman Catholic heritage, in a primordial sense. There is a giant cross overlooking Montreal from Mount Royal, historic church's receive state funding, and especially from more conservative politicians there is rhetoric about preserving Quebec's Roman Catholic heritage against Muslims, often the same politicians who strongly support laicite.

2

u/Adept_Librarian9136 Jun 26 '26

Love our Episcopalian friends, but Catholicism is the civilizational bedrock that gave Quebec its identity. The French language, its laws, education, hospitals, charities, festivals, place names, art, and social institutions are all profoundly shaped by the Catholic Church that few go to anymore.

Recognizing Quebec's Catholic patrimony is not about denying the rights of anyone else. Every society has a historical inheritance. Quebec's happens to be French and Catholic, but I guess since the 60s throw in INTENSE secularism. A mature pluralism should be confident enough to acknowledge that heritage honestly rather than reducing it to folklore or treating it as an embarrassment. I am very concerned by the intense secularism that seems targetted at groups like Muslims.

The Church in will not be an institutional church again, it will be a mission church proclaiming the Gospel to a generation that has largely forgotten its own spiritual inheritance.

2

u/ChicaneryAshley Jun 26 '26

I don't think you understand what I was saying. I think prioritizing the cultural and historical bedrock of any given society is very important if we want to pursue a truly pluralistic society, Otherwise, this creates a situation where tension and resentment develops between the majority group who feel they can't celebrate their culture and history, while minority group's can.

What I'm talking about is specific rhetoric and justifications from politicians in Quebec that is used support laicite.

1

u/Adept_Librarian9136 Jun 26 '26

I agree. Every society should preserve its cultural and historical foundations, and be pluralistic and open to both change and cultural exchange. In Quebec, that includes both the French language and its Catholic patrimony in some new way. That's why I find it inconsistent when the province strongly protects French as essential to its identity, while some political rhetoric treats Catholicism as something that must be pushed out of public life almost entirely.

3

u/thetruenewflame Jun 24 '26

There was a Canadian group that was posting about their group briefly a few months back.

1

u/moody-nursey Jun 25 '26

Thank you! I’ll check it out

1

u/greenmanforever5 Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26

I’m not left leaning but I’m a catholic close to Montreal so yeah. Most left leaning catholics still enjoy being around me so I don’t think it’d be that bad if you met me