Quebec secular charter opposed by Catholic bishops

There's a warning from the Catholic church to the Parti Québécois government: the push for a more secular state could backfire.

Msgr. Pierre-Andre Fournier, the head of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops, is suggesting the proposed charter could have unintended consequences.

Instead of a more secular Quebec, he said he foresees more resistance: more protests in the street, and more women isolated at home in what he calls cultural "ghettos."

"The more you try to have an identity by pushing back others, the more you create ghettos," Fournier told a news conference Thursday in Trois-Rivières.

"Women will stay at home and will not integrate — and neither will their children."

He suggested the PQ plan would be particularly unfair to Muslim women, pushing some to the margins while religious Muslim men could continue wearing beards while working for the state.

It appears reasonable to us to want a secular state. Jesus did not hesitate to affirm: render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's.- Msgr. Pierre-Andre Fournier, head of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops

The Catholic bishops of Quebec are not opposed to the overall idea of a values charter, but they want some changes.

Fournier said in an interview that there are many grey aspects of the proposed charter and the bishops want to make it better to make sure the state respects religion.

The Quebec bishops support the plan's five criteria for minority accommodations, but are against the part of the charter that issues a broad ban on government workers wearing visible religious symbols.

"It appears reasonable to us to want a secular state. Jesus did not hesitate to affirm: render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's," he told reporters.

"While it may be true that the state is secular, society is pluralist. On the spiritual and religious plan, people are free to believe or not believe ... no official religion, but no official atheism, neither."

Charter expected to be tabled this fall

The minority PQ government is expected to table a bill in the fall, and has suggested it might negotiate with opposition parties afterward.

However, it is resisting having such discussions with opponents now and says it wants to give the debate more time to play out.

Some of the debate may be occurring within the PQ cabinet itself. Two ministers have made contrasting statements this week, leading to contradictory news headlines about whether the plan will ultimately keep its current five-year opt-out clause for institutions.

Two polls this week suggest the PQ plan is supported by about half of Quebecers — which is a precipitous drop from the levels of support expressed in recent months for the headwear-ban idea.