MONTREAL (CCN) — In this its 25th year, the Christian think-tank Cardus is expanding its reach into Quebec.
On the evening of Oct. 27, using his newly minted French, Cardus president Brian Dijkema greeted the crowd of more than 50 gathered at the McGill University Faculty Club and shared the importance of the launch of a Quebec directorate.
Dijkema noted that Quebec is the province that “makes the first move, for both good and ill,” on life issues like abortion and euthanasia as well as in establishing new public policy on the relationship between the Church and state.
In establishing a footprint in Quebec, Dijkema said Cardus hopes to show that Christians are “not a marginal interest group” but “citizens working for the common good of Quebec and the country.”
Under the leadership of Jean-Christophe Jasmin, Cardus hopes to establish a forum for calm dialogue about public policy issues in Quebec.
The launch followed the third annual hosting that day of the Faith and Public Space Forum at the former Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Montreal. Organized by the Cardus Institute, in collaboration with the Table interreligious de concertation du Québec, the event was created to examine the place of religion in Quebec society.
This year, speakers included former Alberta premier Jason Kenney, who spoke on the history of Canadian immigration and integration, and Guillaume Rousseau, University of Sherbrooke professor, lawyer and co-author of the recent set of recommendations to expand state secularism in Quebec.
Jasmin told The Catholic Register that the Cardus-organized forum has more than doubled its numbers in the last three years. The first held in 2023 had some 60 registrants, this year saw 150 people participating.
“We finally had the attention of mainstream media. La Presse was there,” said Jasmin.
The presence of Rousseau at the event no doubt played a part in the media interest. Rousseau is widely recognized as the mind behind many of the Coalition Avenir Quebec’s (CAQ) policy positions, including the recently introduced Quebec Constitution.
Jasmin said the tension was palpable in the room when Rousseau began his presentation.
“A lot of people know that some of his recommendations would literally shutter most churches,” said Jasmin.
Quebec’s Anglican Bishop Bruce Myers was tasked with the job of questioning Rousseau at the conclusion of his speech.
“The main pushback,” recounted Jasmin, “and I think he landed perfectly on that, it was basically the saying in English, ‘nothing about us without us.’
“We cannot have two lawyers, who have a very limited command of the community and the issues involved, legislate in ways that will transform the religious sector.”
Jasmin said he believes it is ignorance rather than animus that is driving many of the recent policy recommendations about secularism in the province.
“It’s not like when I talk to them, it’s not like anti-religious hatred. It’s just a complete misunderstanding of how faith communities work.”
This lack of interaction between government ministers and policymakers and religious groups and subsequent ignorance is one of the issues Cardus seeks to address with its expansion into Quebec.
“Some of the research we have provided has already served in the debate,” said Jasmin.
Jasmin said that Cardus had taken the Halo study, a measurement of the socio-economic benefit of religious congregations to the local community, and had it translated into French.
“If we don’t have this research ready, the argument seems empty. We want to provide credible research, intellectual ammunition, so that we can have a real debate. The conversation shouldn’t be dominated by a class of people within the government that has a particular view of religion.”
Dijkema said Cardus cannot do the work alone and asked for “prayer, friendship and money.” Cardus is looking to raise $200,000 to support the Quebec initiative.
