Quebec supports anti-abortion men’s group
Le Devoir reveals that Quebec is supporting the Knights of Columbus with public money. This Catholic organization is open only to men, and is opposed to abortion. Even so, the minister for the status of women has given them $22,000 over the last two years.
Another nugget from the article: 98 of the 125 MNAs gave some of their discretionary funds to the Knights of Columbus. Only Québec solidaire had no MNAs supporting the organization.
Update of a sort: This story was posted to Reddit’s Quebec sub, and the comments were unanimous in saying the Knights were a positive force in small‑town Quebec, organizing sports for kids in particular. I have no knowledge of this but the lack of any negative commentary was striking.
Myles 17:08 on 2022-08-19 Permalink
One of the many perverse legacies of the “laïcité” law is that it’s reduced the publicly understood definition of laïcitié to “a dress code that prevents certain people from working in certain jobs.” A real concern for secularism would involve considering limits on government funding of religious organizations. There has been basically no discussion of that.
Kate 17:33 on 2022-08-19 Permalink
Agreed. This news made me wonder how many other Catholic organizations are still being supported by Quebec on the quiet.
Meezly 11:30 on 2022-08-20 Permalink
Excellent point.
Ephraim 13:19 on 2022-08-20 Permalink
Which is one more reason, that we, the shareholders (taxpayers) of the province deserve a full annual report. Not a “budget” but a full report for each department, expenses, and when money is paid to other organizations, a full accounting. How are we to judge if they are doing a good job with our money if they aren’t telling us where they are spending it and on what?
Chris 16:33 on 2022-08-20 Permalink
Kate, when we’ve previously debated requiring churches to pay property tax, one argument against you made was their beneficial charitable work. Seems to me that would apply to the K of C as well, no?
Kate 18:35 on 2022-08-20 Permalink
Here’s the Reddit thread from /r/Quebec.
Chris, I’d have to know more about the situation to say.
Since the Knights are male-only, does that mean boys are favoured over girls in their offered activities?
How much religious content is involved in what they do?
I’d probably end up giving an ambiguous answer. Quebec is theoretically totally secular, but if you pulled the plug on this organization, would that deprive kids in small towns over a principle?
As with my point about church halls, you can’t expect government to seamlessly provide a strictly secular replacement for all these efforts that are anchored in the old Catholic culture here. They exist and they are useful. Destroying them over the secularity principle might hurt more than it helps.
But the CAQ must stop being hypocritical about religion. They are not champions of secularity. They’re fine with Catholicism’s remnants in Quebec, and they’re still fighting a crusade against the Saracen. It’s dishonest.
Oh, and it’s not just Quebec. This recent revelation that Canada forever discharged the Catholic church from paying indemnities to residential school survivors and paid their legal bill as well is a more serious matter than a few grand to the Knights of Columbus.