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| Pauline Marois (photo by Louperivois) |
Bad news: It was to present the PQ "Charter of Secularism".
Good/bad news: It's more like a Charter of Cultural Catholicism.
Which means they're not demanding to tear down the crucifix from the wall of the National Assembly. Pauline says: “There is no question of touching certain traditions that make up part
of our heritage . . . We do not
have to apologize for being who we are.”
No, even if what you are is cultural Catholics. But is cultural Catholicism worth chartering?
It's my experience that any sort of partial Catholicism, anything less than trying to make it your life, drains your energy and gives you nothing in return.
"Culture" is becoming a code word for exempting certain religions -- for whatever reason -- from the supposed secular ideal. Awhile back I sat on what I'll call the Benevolent Committee for Distribution of Other People's Money. Some Muslims applied for a grant, saying openly that they'd use it to share their "religious believes". Oh, and they'd serve a meal too. I questioned whether we should approve this, and someone else asked if, after all, we would give money to a Christian group for something similar. "But this is cultural," we were told.
But if you admit that culture and religion are inextricable, the secular ideal collapses. Nothing left to charter . . . but, of course, secularism isn't really what the PQ is trying to charter here. Just some remnant of their Catholic identity that won't ask anything of them but will help them rally against those disturbing other people.
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