Oh yay, Canada gets to have a Pope John Paul II Day.
It what? Why would it even want such a thing? Why would anyone want such a thing?
The Catholic Register gives us the skinny.
The bill to establish Pope John Paul II Day passed the Senate Dec. 16 and has received royal assent.
Conservative MP Wladyslaw Lizon introduced private member’s Bill C-266, an Act to establish Pope John Paul II Day, in 2011. The bill designates April 2 as Pope John Paul II Day, though does not make it a legal holiday or non-juridical day.
In a statement, Lizon described the passage of the bill as a “proud but very emotional moment.”
Lizon’s bill passed the House of Commons in the spring of 2013 with support from members of all three major political parties. But it faced some snags in the Senate due to concerns the bill was honouring a religious figure.
Well quite. If any one human being on the planet is unmistakably a religious figure, it’s the pope. What’s a secular government doing creating a specific-pope day?
Lizon had argued Pope John Paul II’s legacy was far more than religious.
“Pope John Paul II’s work transcended so many boundaries,” said Lizon. “He promoted the values of peace and tolerance along with his strong stand against human rights violations. These are values that resonate deeply in our country and with Canadians. This was the motivation of this legislation.”
Bullshit. The Catholic church ferociously opposes many core human rights, especially those relating to women. John Paul was a reactionary on that subject.
They should change the date of his day to July 37.