The Prime Minister Goes to Church

 During the CBC Radio hourly newscast this morning we heard again what has been repeated all week long. Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Governor General Mary Simon at noon today requesting the dissolution of parliament for the commencement of an election campaign. Election day will be either the last Monday in April or the first Monday in May.

What struck me as a bit newsworthy is that Carney will be attending a worship service in a church before this meeting. Really? We don't hear much about the religion of political leaders in Canada although Jagmeet Singh (NDP) is Sikh while Elizabeth May (Green) is  Anglican and in years past claimed that after she was Prime Minister she would study for the priesthood. Pierre Poilievre (Conservative) was raised Roman Catholic although those close to him note that religion hasn't been prominent in his adult life. He does visit churches fairly often, mostly those leaning to the right, as he courts conservative "family" values. I have no idea about the Bloc Quebecois' Yves-François Blanchet's personal religious convictions or practices but the province of Quebec seems determined to push all evidence of religion of any kind out of the public square. 

Mark Carney was also raised RC and his father Bob, a school superintendent, was serious about Catholic social values. Son Mark has served on the Vatican's Steering Committee of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism. 

Americans have traditionally placed more emphasis on the religious background of political candidates --supposedly. The late President Jimmy Carter was a devout Christian in word and deed yet he was held in contempt by many evangelicals. Barack Obama is a Protestant and did attend church at times during his presidency but there were outlandish conspiracy theories about him being a closet Muslim -- perish the thought. Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic, as is Nancy Pelosi (former Speaker of the House), and both came under fire from bishops for supporting reproductive freedom for women. Pelosi was banned from receiving the eucharist by her bishop but she shrugged and said this was his problem, not hers. No priest ever refused to let her take communion.

The current US president claims to be a Christian but there is absolutely nothing to suggest that this is true, in keeping with his wretched moral failure in every aspect of life. 

I hope that in Canada we still care about values and character and a well-developed moral compass amongst our leaders. Mark Carney wrote a book with the title Value(s) Building a Better World for All. 

If genuine religion guides his values, all the better. We can all do some praying for the outcome of this election in challenging times.