MONTREAL — A Quebec religious group is accusing the City of Montreal of censorship for fining a local church after it hosted a concert over the weekend by a Christian singer. Ministerios Restauración Church is facing a $2,500 fine for hosting singer Sean Feucht, a rising star in the MAGA political movement tied to U.S. President Donald Trump. The city says it warned the church it didn’t have a permit to host Feucht -- who has spoken out against abortion and LGBTQ+ people -- but says the show went ahead anyway. The religious group -- Réseau évangélique du Québec -- represents roughly 500 evangelical Protestant churches in the province, and says the city tried to shut the show down because it didn’t like the singer’s religious views. Spokesperson Jean-Christophe Jasmin says the event should not have required a permit because it was part of a routine religious gathering. Complaints about Feucht have led officials to cancel his concerts scheduled in Eastern Canada -- decisions that free speech advocates in the country say were violations of the Charter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
