It was not a scandal and it wasn’t deserving of the coverage it received. When Stephen Harper received the communion wafer at Romeo LeBlanc’s funeral, he couldn’t have known that he was entering a maelstrom of controversy with the church. A video showed he didn’t take the wafer immediately and someone claimed that he pocketed the wafer instead of consuming it. A high ranking New Brunswick church official reacted sharply to the news and stated that the Prime Minister owed the church an explanation. A few hours later, the PM’s office stated that Stephen Harper actually ate the wafer.
I am a man of faith, though I’m quiet about it. I realize that such moments of solemnity such as the Roman Catholic mass are sacred affairs. But by all accounts, Stephen Harper is a religious man and hasn’t been hesitant to claim it. Yet whether he pocketed or ate the wafer is a matter for himself and his own conscience, especially at such a solemn occasion. To chastise him in such a way undermines the true meaning of both church and state. I’m with the Prime Minister on this one. As was the faithful Roman Catholic church goer I met with this morning at a press conference about the Ontario Child Tax Benefit. He confessed that he was embarrassed that such a line had been drawn in the sand by the church. ”He doesn’t owe an explanation,” the man uttered humbly, “it’s between him and his God.”
My children from Africa have all been raised Roman Catholic, in respect for their mother who died tragically in a raid years ago. In fact, they received their First Communion only three weeks ago. On similar occasions, we have been unsure as to whether to take the wafer because we are not Roman Catholic and didn’t wish to offend the priest or the church. This is natural and shows respect for the church. If the PM didn’t take the wafer for the same reason, I commend him, as should we all.
Stephen Harper was present at a loving and respectful funeral for a truly great Canadian – a Liberal, I might add. He showed up in respect and carried himself accordingly. He prayed, sang, and welcomed Romeo LeBlanc’s legacy. But although he held the highest office in the country, he was also there as a guest of the church. There is no scandal here, only the need for the church to provide him an explanation as to why the welcome extended to him was treated in such a manner. In true respect, they should have kept this out of the media and reasoned together with another person of faith. Jesus didn’t die for this. It’s not a story.
Enough said.
I’m sure taking the high road will impress Conservatives. It alway has.
Nevertheless, I agree with you.
For what it’s worth, it impresses *this* Conservative, and I don’t mind saying so. Well said, Glen.
I am just left baffled by this incident. Why didn’t the PM’s staff tell him the correct protocol for non-Catholics attending a Catholic Mass? Are they incompetent? Are they so scared of the PM that they won’t tell him he can’t do something? Which is it?
Also, the Archbishop should have been aware that there were non-Catholics in the crowd, for a national event like the funeral of a Governor General. At weddings I have been involved in where one partner is not Catholic, the priests invariably tell the non-Catholic guests in the congregation the rules for receiving Communion. This whole thing seems to have been an unfortunate cock-up from top to bottom.
Greg, it probably honestly didn’t cross anyone’s mind that the eucharist/communion could possibly be a source of controversy. The state funeral of a former Gov General probably has all sorts of protocol-related things that a PM is briefed about, but the actual funeral rite was probably not one of them.
My mom’s RC and my Dad’s Anglican, and as a result, I’ve been to my fair share of Catholic services, though I’m Anglican myself. Sometimes the priest tells people that only RC’s should accept the eucharist, sometimes it’s printed in the bulletin, and sometimes it’s not even mentioned – so in my experience at least, it’s not invariable that the priest sets out the ground rules.
What made things more difficult for the PM is that in many protestant denominations, including my own, almost anyone is invited to receive the host (wafer), *and* the “rules” about when and how you consume it differ.
I think the larger issue here is that our prime minister in his official role did not behave appropriately at a formal state function. He is not just another protestant who happens to be at a Catholic funeral. This is becoming part of a pattern for him, e.g. taking the military salute on Canada Day, a function reserved for the Governor General. He really does seem to think that rules and conventions do not apply to him.