Updating of the law on secularism in Quebec: towards the prohibition of prayers and religious demonstrations in public places
The Quebec government is preparing to strengthen the law on secularism in order to explicitly prohibit religious prayers and events in public space, such as streets, parks or places accessible to all. This approach aims to reaffirm the neutrality of the State and the public domain, in a context marked by the punctual presence of public religious groups, especially in Montreal.
Causes of this update
The government invokes the need to preserve social peace and prevent potential tensions linked to the visibility of religious practices in public space. Praying rallies – whether Muslims, Christians or other confessions – recently raised discussions, although these acts remain uncommon and generally peaceful. However, the authorities consider relevant to standardize the supervision on the province’s scale, instead of letting each municipality decide.
The bill and its scope
The bill, which will be tabled in the fall of 2025, plans to prohibit any religious event organized in the public places of Quebec: streets, parks, squares, even public transport. This ban targets the whole territory, with particular attention to the City of Montreal where these rallies were the most noticed. According to the government, this measure will apply to all religions and to all forms of collective religious manifestations, without distinction.
Possible consequences
- Any activity including a collective prayer, a celebration or a religious gesture in public space could be concerned.
- The various religious denominations, including Christians who practice street evangelization, may have to adapt their activities to avoid contravening the future law.
- This project already raises important debates on freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Several religious communities denounce a too wide measurement while the problematic cases remain marginal.
The cities concerned and the populations targeted
The whole of Quebec is targeted by law, but media attention has crystallized in Montreal, theater of the majority of recent prayer rallies. Officially, the law does not target any religion or group in particular: it will apply to any form of religious expression in public space, whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc.
Potential impact on Christian evangelization
It is important to emphasize that evangelization in the streets, in certain forms, could be affected by this law. Indeed, the formulation is not limited to a specific practice or a precise religious tradition, but covers any public manifestation of a religious nature. Thus, if evangelization includes collective prayers, songs or visible celebrations, it could fall under the prohibition, requiring an adaptation of the modes of expression of faith in public space to stay in accordance with the law.
This legislative project, carried out by the Legault government (Coalition Avenir Québec) and carried by the Minister responsible for secularism, Jean-François Roberge, is part of a dynamic of reaffirmation of the principle of secularism, while triggering a substantive debate on fundamental freedoms and the place of religion in contemporary Quebec society.
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