Cultic is a strong word that has taken on a sinister meaning far from its original liturgical sense, which was the Latin word for “worship.” If there were something sinister going on in the facility, or diabolic, like a pagan ceremony or black mass, then the fine is just because the agreement for rental prohibits cultic activity. Diabolical rituals are certainly cultic, as are a legion of other dark and sinister movements and ceremonies. Oddly enough, in this instance, the city owned complex intends the word cultic to mean what it had traditionally meant, “worship.” Well, certain dutiful employees witnessed this cultic activity taking place in a room at the complex and good citizens that they were they issued a complaint to the city. What was the cultic activity? A Catholic Mass, with traditional hymns, and, at one point, the actual selling of rosary beads by little children ( the money raised was to go to the poor homeless in Haiti). If the woman who ran this one-day gathering of one hundred people for worship and a pot luck brunch is forced by the court to pay the fine, then religious liberty for Catholics will suffer yet another blow in Canada.
ilsussidario.net: Paula Celani will be in a Montreal courtroom Nov. 1 fighting a fine for attending an illegal Roman Catholic Mass. Canadians of all religious faiths—and even those who care only about protecting Charter freedoms—should cross their fingers that she wins. Full report is here.
