The values of Christ can inspire all Canadians this holiday season and in the year ahead, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a Christmas address highlighting the holiday's Christian origins.
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“For Christians, it is also a time when we celebrate the birth of Christ and the values he embodied, such as compassion, kindness and hope. The story of Christ is celebrated by Christians tonight, but the values it carries are universal,” Mr. Trudeau said in his message broadcast on Sunday.
“Let us love our neighbor as ourselves, drawing strength from our differences. Let's give back and help those going through difficult times. […] That is the true spirit of Christmas and also the true spirit of Canada,” the Prime Minister continued, before thanking the military, first responders and volunteers for their commitment.
These references to Christianity in Mr. Trudeau's Christmas greetings appear to reflect the controversy sparked by the Human Rights Commission in late November when it found that certain holidays of Christian origin, such as Christmas and Easter, were examples of “systemic religious discrimination.” because they are accompanied by holidays that do not exist for holidays in other cultural communities.
That outing sparked an outcry both in Quebec – where elected officials unanimously passed a resolution defending Christmas – and in Ottawa, where the prime minister had to stand in the House of Representatives to loudly support that “Christmas is not racist.”
The Conservative Party also responded in the following days with the proposal to make the month of December “Christian Heritage Month”.
Mr. Trudeau used his message to wish “holidays full of good cheer, good company and hope for the year ahead.”
“Let us keep the Christmas spirit alive in the new year and find ways to make our community, our country and our world a better place in 2024,” he concluded.