The National Assembly put the flag at half mast in honor of many sports and artistic personalities, but not for the Pope because of the law on the secularism of the state. This did not however prevent François Legault from dispatch a minister to the funeral of the sovereign pontiff on behalf of Catholic Quebecers.
The Canada flag was put at half mast on federal buildings across the country last week.
Ottawa did not hesitate to use this “powerful visual demonstration of a feeling of mourning shared by all citizens” in honor of the Holy Father, who also has the status of head of state.
The city of Vatican is the smallest country in the world, located in the heart of Rome, the Italian capital.
The fleurdelisé which floats on the highest tower of the National Assembly did not experience the same fate. He remained hoisted high on his mast.
Law 21 prevented the Quebec parliament from paying tribute to His Holiness, which made the trip to Quebec in 2022.
The National Assembly of Quebec and its raised flag at the top of the central tower mast floating in the wind.
Photo Geneviève Lajoie
“The law on the secularism of the State enacted as principle the separation of the State and religions as well as the religious neutrality of the State. This law also requires that parliamentary institutions respect all of these principles in fact and apparently. In these circumstances, there was no misery for the death of the Pope, “said the spokesperson for the National Assembly, Béatrice Zacharie.
Artists and sportsmen
In the past, Quebec has however honored the memory of many personalities from different backgrounds.
We obviously think of former Quebec and Canadian prime ministers, such as Bernard Landry, Jacques Parizeau or Brian Mulroney.
But also to several artists or athletes, such as the singer of the Fringent Cowboys, Karl Tremblay, or the hockey players Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy.
But the secularism of the state did not prevent Minister Martine Biron from going to the pope’s funeral last Saturday.
The Minister of International Relations even justified her presence at the funeral of the Sovereign Pontiff, because “the majority of citizens in Quebec are Catholic”.
Lack of consistency
A speech that is quite lacking in consistency, noted the Liberal Party.
The CAQ seeks to adopt another bill to extend the ban on religious signs to more members of school staff and to end religious accommodation in the school network.
Other institutions, such as Quebec City, followed the management borrowed by the Quebec parliament and did not put their flag at half mast to underline the memory of Pope Francis.
“We follow the protocol of the National Assembly, we consulted and […] We follow the Government of Quebec’s protocol, spokesman François Moisan said. It is because we are a secular state ”.
Note that the decision to put the Quebec flag at half mail is made jointly by the president of the National Assembly and Prime Minister François Legault.
“It officially symbolizes collective mourning, we read on the parliament site. The flag is sometimes put at half -mast at fixed dates in order to highlight certain commemorations. It is also put at half mast when the death of a significant public figure or a tragic event occurs. ”
Examples of personalities whose death was underlined by the misery of the Quebec flag
The singer of the Fringent Cowboys, Karl Tremblay
Hockey player Guy Lafleur
Artist agent and singer René Angélil
Michael Bossy hockey player
The singer-songwriter, humorist and actor Jean Lapointe
The producer and artist agent Guy Latraverse
The songwriter and performer Jean-Pierre Ferland
The constitutionalist and ex-liberal minister Benoît Pelletier
The Quebec astrophysicist Hubert Reeves
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