Church fined for hosting Sean Feucht files Quebec Superior Court appeal
A Montreal church fined $2,500 for holding a prayer service with the U.S.-based musician Sean Feucht has filed a Charter claim with the Quebec Superior Court.
A Montreal church fined $2,500 for holding a prayer service with the U.S.-based musician Sean Feucht has filed a Charter claim with the Quebec Superior Court.
The Ministerios Restauración Church in Montreal pleaded not guilty to the bylaw ticket and has since filed legal defences to the penalty issued against it by the City.
The church’s legal representation will be supplied by The Democracy Fund.
In August, Ministerios Restauracion held a prayer service attended by US-based artist Sean Feucht. Police entered the building to stop the event, while protesters threw a smoke bomb inside.
Anti-Christian protesters also threw a smoke bomb inside the Church hoping to intimidate attendees and halt the prayer service from going ahead. The service went ahead regardless.
The City of Montreal then responded by issuing a $2,500 ticket to the church for holding a prayer service without a permit.
“This show runs counter to the values of inclusion, solidarity, and respect that are championed in Montreal. Freedom of expression is one of our fundamental values, but hateful and discriminatory speech is not acceptable in Montreal,” a spokesperson for the Mayor Valérie Plante’s Office told reporters at the time.
TDF lawyers responded by filing an appeal for judicial review to the Quebec Superior Court alleging that, “by issuing the ticket, the City abused its power and infringed the Charter rights of the Church.”
“The appeal seeks to have the ticket expunged and a declaration that the Church has a right to hold praise and musical prayer events pursuant to the governing bylaw,” wrote TDF in a press release last week.
No date has been scheduled for the hearing and the City has yet to file a response.
“This is the first step in defending the Church and ensuring that Christians in Canada have the same rights to freely and peacefully worship as anyone else,” said TDF litigation director Mark Joseph.
“TDF-funded lawyers expect to argue at Superior Court that both the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantee these rights.”
Feucht’s Canadian tour saw numerous show cancellations; six cities pulled permits and cancelled outdoor concerts, citing “safety concerns.”
Municipal governments and federal agencies blocked Feucht’s performances elsewhere across the country amid concerns tied to his political views.
Edmonton and Saskatoon were the only two Canadian cities that allowed Feucht’s tour to proceed, while nine others attempted to stop him.
Feucht is a prominent U.S. evangelical figure and former Republican congressional candidate. He is known for his outspoken support of U.S. President Donald Trump, opposition to abortion, gender ideology and COVID-19 mandates.