 |
magazine / so06
 |
September/October 2006 issue |
|
|
|
Bishop Bourget’s legacy
Thirteen rooftop statues peer out at the soulless skyscrapers of
downtown Montréal from Mary, Queen of the World
Cathedral, a scaled-down replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The lavish cathedral is a tribute to — and the final resting place of
— Ignace Bourget, bishop of Montréal from 1840 to 1876.
Bourget’s mission was to extend the power of the Church over
every aspect of life in Quebec, and his instrument was the holy
orders.
"I listen to my parish priest," wrote Bourget, "my parish priest
listens to the bishop, the bishop listens to the pope, the pope listens
to our Lord Jesus Christ."
Bourget introduced 17 new communities of nuns and friars to
the Montréal diocese, which at that time covered the entire western
half of the province. During his reign, religious communities
became vast institutions. It was partly thanks to him that the number
of nuns in Quebec increased from 650 in 1850 to 6,628 in
1901.
The zealous bishop wielded unlimited power over religious
communities, as any strong-minded Mother Superior would discover
at her expense. When Mother Marie-Anne Blondin, founder
and superior of the Sisters of Saint Anne, had a disagreement with
the chaplain of her order, Bourget demanded that she step down.
She spent the next 30 years, until her death, assigned to menial
work.
Bourget is best remembered today for his vendetta against the
Institut canadien, a cultural society. Its crime was having books forbidden
by the Church in its library. When Institut member Joseph
Guibord died in 1869, Bourget refused to give him a Christian burial.
The British Privy Council eventually overturned Bourget’s decision
and sent in the army to enforce the burial, after which the
bishop deconsecrated the cemetery.
— Marian Scott
top
|
|
| ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
|
