Cape Breton council grudgingly ends prayer at meetings
Supreme Court of Canada ruled last week that prayer at council infringes on freedom of conscience and religion
A 17-year tradition of prayer at the opening of meetings came to an end Tuesday night at Cape Breton regional council, following a ruling last week by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Mayor Cecil Clarke says he will, grudgingly, abide by the ruling, although he isn't happy with the Supreme Court's decision banning prayer at council meetings.
"I have to, as a former attorney general and parliamentarian, respect the rule of law and the decisions of the court whether I agree with them or not," Clarke said. "And I don't agree with them."
The Supreme Court's ruling ended a lengthy legal battle in the Quebec town of Saguenay that began when atheist Alain Simoneau and a secular rights organization complained about the prayer recited at the opening of council meetings.
The Supreme Court decided unanimously the prayer infringes on freedom of conscience and religion. It's a decision that will likely have repercussions at councils across the country that have adopted the practice.
On Tuesday, Clarke lead a prayer prior to the council meeting in a conference room outside council chambers. He was joined by many councillors and supporters from the wider community.
He put the matter on the agenda but council was unanimous the law must be obeyed. Coun. Claire Dethridge says they agreed on a compromise solution.
"I do agree with the idea of starting out with a minute's silence," she said. "We can read in silence or reflect in silence. And surely to God nobody can read our mind and be upset about that."
While he's disappointed the prayer has been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, Coun. Ray Paruch says the decision shows today's society is more diverse.
"People feel that they're excluded because they're not followers of Judeo-Christian traditions," he said. "I've had a couple calls from atheists and they've told me that they feel excluded."