MPs debate Bloc motion to scrap reading of daily prayer before House of Commons sits

MPs are today debating a motion calling for an immediate end to the prayer reading that begins each sitting day in the House of Commons.

Bloc Québécois MP Martin Champoux sponsored the binding motion in the House. A vote on the motion will be held Wednesday, said a spokesperson for the government House leader's office.

The motion, if it passes, would replace the prayer with a moment of reflection before the start of each day's business. Other parties in the House have opposed the motion in debate, saying there are more pressing issues facing MPs. 

The motion says that the prayer should be scrapped because the House "respects the beliefs and non-beliefs of all parliamentarians and of the general public and it is committed to the principle of the separation of religion and the state, the diversity of views and freedom of conscience while upholding the secularism and religious neutrality of the state and out of a desire for inclusiveness."

The Speaker of the House of Commons reads the prayer every morning before the cameras in the chamber have been turned on, and before members of the public and media are allowed inside.

Parliament's website says that the Speaker, MPs and table officers must stand during the prayer, which is followed by a moment of silence.

Though usually a closed-door affair, the prayer was televised on Oct. 23, 2014 — the day after the shooting at the National War Memorial and inside Parliament's Centre Block.

The prayer reads:

"Almighty God, we give thanks for the great blessings which have been bestowed on Canada and its citizens, including the gifts of freedom, opportunity and peace that we enjoy. We pray for our sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, and the Governor General. Guide us in our deliberations as members of Parliament, and strengthen us in our awareness of our duties and responsibilities as members. Grant us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to preserve the blessings of this country for the benefit of all and to make good laws and wise decisions. Amen.

WATCH | Speaker Andrew Scheer reads prayer in House: 

The prayer has been part of the daily House proceedings since 1877 and was codified in standing orders in 1927.

In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a municipal council in the Quebec town of Saguenay could not continue to open its meetings with a prayer. The unanimous decision said reciting a Catholic prayer at council meetings infringed on freedom of conscience and religion.

Following the decision, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson replaced the prayer at the beginning of city council meetings with a moment of reflection. Parliament is protected by parliamentary privilege and is able to set its own rules.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed cool to the idea as he went into a cabinet meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.