'Christmas: A sign that Jesus wants to enter the hearts of the people'

The Archbishop of Montreal's wish in this regard related to the recent hearings of the Bouchard-Taylor Commission. "There was a lot of talk about us at the hearings. (…) Much talk about our Church's past. A lot less about the present. We have not always been honest about the history of the Quebec Church. Some of the words were hurtful. Some judgments were unjust, exaggerated, biased," he said at a mid-December meeting attended by 160 people in Laval.

In an interview, Laval's Episcopal Vicar, Roger Dufresne emphasized that the Church in Laval is young and dynamic. He reminded that although Christmas is about the birth of Christ, it is not just a birthday, it is the sign that Jesus wants to enter the hearts of the people.

Much like Cardinal Turcotte, Abbé Dufresne maintains the Church must open the dialogue to the future. "We must not return to the past, we have to look at the present. We have to renew", he states, adding that creativity is essential to helping people understand God's message. The Abbé cites as example an image he tries to convey to young people preparing for Confirmation. I ask three of them to come forward. I give them popsicle sticks. The first gets one, the second four, the last about 15. I ask them to break the sticks in two. The first and second do it, the third doesn't. I draw a parallel with Faith and the fact that for many it's much easier to overcome obstacles."

Photo:Turc

(Photo: Martin Alarie)