Bloc Quebecois pressing to end daily prayer in the House of Commons

OTTAWA -

The Bloc Quebecois says it's time to end the daily reading of a prayer in the House of Commons and replace it with a moment of reflection.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is against the idea, saying the issue of the daily prayer is not a priority for his government or Canadians.

Bloc MP Martin Champoux says his party will table a motion today in Parliament to remove the daily prayer, which begins by "Almighty God" and ends with "Amen."

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The motion reads that the House should respect the beliefs and non-beliefs of Parliamentarians and the public.

Trudeau, however, says the people he speaks with in his Montreal riding talk of the rising cost of living and the war in Ukraine, not of the daily prayer in the House.

The Conservatives did not immediately return a request for comment, while the NDP says they will vote in favour of the Bloc motion.

The reading of a prayer at the beginning of each day's sitting has been part of the business of the House of Commons since 1877 but has only been a standing order since 1927.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2022.