Montreal

The Archbishop of Montreal welcomes the March 19th Supreme Court of Canada decision validating Loyola High School's pedagogical approach to the teaching of government-mandated material on world religions.

MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL  
FOLLOWING THE JUDGMENT BY THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA

The Archbishop of Montreal welcomes the March 19th Supreme Court of Canada decision validating Loyola High School's pedagogical approach to the teaching of government-mandated material on world religions. The new decision will help Loyola High School and Quebec's Minister of Education to reach a common understanding in the interests of students, their parents, and the school itself.

Loyola is a private Catholic High School located in the Archdiocese of Montreal, which has been teaching a course on world religions from a faith-based perspective for over a quarter of a century.  It teaches other religions and ethics from an objective perspective and with respect.

All judges of the Supreme Court unanimously held that the outright rejection of Loyola's initial request for recognition of its programme based on the confessional character of Loyola High School as an educational institution is unreasonable and limits freedom of religion.

With this decision, the Supreme Court has articulated legal guidelines that pave the way for ministerial recognition of Loyola's approach.

The Archbishop notes that both Loyola and the Minister's delegate must continue to work together to acknowledge Loyola's existing approach.  Any new guidelines must respect both Loyola's rights and those of parents who chose a Catholic education for their children.

The judgment may be found here


* The Archbishop was represented by Mes Milton James Fernandes and Sergio G. Famularo of Montreal-based law firm,  Famularo Fernandes Levinson - avocats.