Role of religion in voting in Canada: Not as easy to see as in the U.S., but it's there

 

The more religious Canadians are, they more then tend to vote Conservative. The less religious they are, the more they lean towards the NDP. Unless they are churchgoing mainline Protestants or Catholics, in which case they lean more toward the Liberals and NDP. 

That, in broad strokes and with some exceptions, is the conclusion reached by Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, a professor of sociology at the University of Waterloo, after analyzing the 2021 Canadian Election Study by Statistics Canada. 

“An individual’s strong religious beliefs and active involvement in a religious group affects their voting behaviour,” she said, adding the more traditionally religious a person is, the more likely it is they will support Conservative candidates “who are perceived to share their values.” 

Wilkins-Laflamme, who studies the impact of religion on Canadian society, is quick to note that while Canada is not like the U.S. when it comes to religion and voting, religion still plays a role in elections in this country — even if it isn’t as easy to see. 

Read my most recent column to learn more, including why if mainline Protestants and Catholics go to church more they tend more towards the Liberals and NDP. 

There’s a priest on the front page of the Free Press—and he’s not even in trouble!

In 2019, when my Religion in the News project started at the Free Press, the very first story we published was about Father Sam Argenziano—a priest who had served the Italian Catholic community in Winnipeg faithfully and well for decades. The story made the front page. 

I liked to tell people back then: “There’s a priest on the front page of the Free Press—and he’s not even in trouble!” 

Fast-forward to today. There’s another priest in the Free Press. Not on the front page, but not on the faith page, either. My story about Winnipeg’s new Archbishop, Murray Chatlain, is in the local section. 

(And when his predecessor, Archbishop Richard Gagnon, retired from his post, I wrote a story about him, too.) 

These stories show the goals of the project: To provide balance to religion coverage and to highlight the role faith plays in the city. The bad things will also be reported; there was a story in the paper about a Manitoba lawsuit for Roman Catholic clergy sexual abuse in the 1980s the same week. 

But those aren’t the only stories about religion that need to be told—as the project, and the story about Archbishop Chatlain, shows. 

Read about Winnipeg’s new archbishop in the Free Press.

Faithful but fearful: American clergy startled by intolerance in the U.S. seek ministry opportunities in Canada

American academics, scientists, researchers, doctors, nurses—all professions where people are thinking about moving to Canada. Now add clergy to that list. 

Since Trump’s inauguration, the the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada has received about 30 inquiries from Lutheran pastors in the U.S. about ministry opportunities in Canada. 

“They’re looking to immigrate to Canada because of concerns about the impact of Trump’s policies on education, healthcare, their own personal safety and the safety of their families,” said Jason Zinko, bishop for the Manitoba and Northwestern Synod of the ELCIC. 

I was able to interview two of those U.S. Lutheran clergy about their reasons for wanting to come to Canada. In both cases, the anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans messaging and laws in that country play a big role. 

Read my story in the Free Press.

The Catholic faith of Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney

Twenty-four people have been prime minister in Canada. Ten of them have called the Roman Catholic Church home. That number will grow to 11 after this election since both Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney are Catholics. 

But what does being Catholic mean for each man? Neither have spoken about it; Poilievre has given no interviews about his faith and Carney is so new to politics that he hasn’t had time to delve into it. What we do know about both can be found online in the writing of others.

Read my recent column to learn what we know about the Catholic faith of the two top contenders to lead Canada after April 28. 

Faith, Trump, tariffs and trade war: More faith leaders speak out

During the pandemic, the Free Press invited clergy and other faith leaders to share reflections about faith and the Covid emergency—what they were saying to their congregations and denominations. 

These submissions were published on the faith section of the Free Press website; between 20-30 were published there. 

Canada has another emergency today—the threat of tariffs and trade war with the U.S. I have explored what this means for faith groups in some columns. But we also wanted to invite faith leaders to share more about this topic. What are they saying to their congregations and denominations? 

To that end, the Free Press is accepting submissions from local faith leaders about this current emergency situation. We have published six so far on the faith section of the Free Press website, including these new ones.

Local pastors best placed to deal with political issues: Applying the Scriptures to the current moment for a local congregation is par for the course for a pastor. By Yuri Hooker, senior pastor of Bethesda Church. 

We are not helpless or alone: Simple things you can do when the world is in turmoil. By Janessa Nayler-Giesbrecht, pastor of Jubilee Mennonite Church. 

A call to courage and hope in this consequential moment. By By: Michael Pahl, executive minister for Mennonite Church Manitoba.

And previous posts:

Michael Wilson, minister at Charleswood United Church: “Faith a way to counter anxiety.” 

Erik Reedman Parker, minister at Sherwood Park Lutheran Church: “Trump and Martin Luther: How to live a Christian life in this current world.” 

Peter Bush, formerly the minister at Westwood Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg and now the minister at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fergus, Ont.: A prayer for a time of chaos and uncertainty. 

More will be coming! Already there are two more submissions ready to be edited. 

People of faith believe that faith has something to say about every situation facing people, even if only to trust God and not lose heart. And also about trade wars and tariffs.

New book explores the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of yoga

With an estimated seven million Canadians doing yoga, there’s no question the practice is popular today. 

But why is it so popular? That was the question on the mind of Paul Bramadat, director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria — and an avid yoga practitioner himself. 

Drawing from his own experience, and through conversations with hundreds of yoga teachers and students in the U.S. and Canada, Bramadat sought to find out what it means for people in the modern West. The result is his new book Yogalands: In Search of Practice on the Mat and in the World. 

Read my interview with Paul in my most recent column and also find out more about Yoga—why do more women than men do it? What is the main difference between those in the U.S. and Canada when it comes to doing Yoga? What about the spiritual aspects?

Clergy sexual abuse "unfathomable," says Archbishop of St. Boniface at special service for abuse survivors

 

“Unfathomable.” That’s the word Albert LeGatt, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Boniface, repeated multiple times last Friday during a prayer service that may have been the first of its kind across Canada — focusing on survivors of sexual assault committed by clergy. 

“When I think of this whole reality of sexual abuse, that’s the word that comes to mind,” LeGatt told about 75 people at Christ the King Parish on St. Mary’s Road. 

“When I hear stories from survivors and family members, I have a sense of the unfathomable. How could a person do that to another human being? To someone so little, whether that was by a priest, a parent, a coach, a teacher. How?” asked LeGatt. 

LeGatt said it is beyond his understanding how the church was silent on the subject for so long, as it just wanted it “to go away, not deal with it.” 

Read more about the service in the Free Press.

Photo above: Members of religious orders collect prayers during the service about survivors of clergy sexual abuse.