Father Raymond J. de Souza: Stephen Harper's half-hearted Christmas message
Dec 23, 2011 - 5:16 PM ET | Last Updated: Dec 23, 2011 5:43 PM ET
Government of Canada / YouTube
A screengrab from Stephen Harper's Christmas message
The Prime Minister of Canada released today a "message for the Christmas season" which is both comically inept and offensive. A PMO famous for its exacting message control ought to be able to cobble together a decent Christmas statement, but apparently not. And no blaming this embarrassment on the junior assistant speechwriter in the office of the deputy associate director of communications. No, the PM himself took time to videotape this greeting to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Christmas message, so he was fully aware of what was not in it.
To begin with, nothing about Christmas or Christianity or even Christians. The only mention of Christmas is up top, where the PM says, "Christmas is a time to gather with family and friends, and to look back with gratitude, and to look forward with hope."
That is so nondescript it could have been said on any holiday at all. For example, on Thanksgiving. Indeed, on Thanksgiving, Mr. Harper said this: "Thanksgiving is a time when Canadians take time away from their busy schedules and gather with loved ones to celebrate and give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy."
After the blathering about gathering, Mr. Harper gets right to his main point, which is Canada's fabulous economic action plan: "In spite of continued global instability, Canada's economy has performed well, compared to other countries. And our country is more confident and more united than ever. Our Government will keep working hard to create jobs and growth."
That's simply offensive. To use one of the holiest days of the Christian year for some economic boosterism is to profane what is sacred. Patting yourself on the back for your economic policy is so vain and in such bad taste that one wonders if the PM is in possession of some super-secret poll advising him to offend Christians as a new political strategy.
C'mon, Father, surely the PM had to talk economics instead of religion, lest Justice Minister Rob Nicholson dispatch some goons from the human rights commission to beat him into secularist submission? Give him a break, perhaps he is simply havin' a wonderful Christmastime, as maybe Mr. Harper likes to sing when not playing Imagine on his piano.
Nice try. But just two months ago for Diwali the PM spoke about "the victory of good over evil and light over darkness", summarized the "sacred story" of Diwali and listed by name the "Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists" who celebrate it.
A fluke? No, because just a month ago, at the marking of Eid, Mr. Harper began with a hearty "As-Salāmu Alaykum" before going on to speak at length about the history of Muslims in Canada. He even went so far as to opine about what constitutes the "true face of Islam".
The Prime Minister was clearly warming to matters theological, because just three days ago for Chanukah, he delivered something of a sermon: "More than two thousand years ago, a small group of Jewish believers overcame the odds and courageously defeated and repelled their oppressors, liberating Jerusalem and reclaiming the Holy Temple as their own. As they rededicated the Temple, a second miracle occurred: a small amount of oil that should have lasted one night instead burned for eight. Since that time, Jewish people around the world celebrate the holy tradition of Chanukah, the yearly eight-day Festival of Light, in commemoration of those miracles. Born out of the triumph of light over darkness, of freedom over oppression and of tolerance over persecution, this celebration reminds us that miracles can occur even in the darkest of moments, and that justice must always overcome tyranny."
So the Prime Minister is capable of rising to the religious occasion when he chooses to. At Christmas, he chose not to. He wished us a Merry Christmas (and a Happy Hanukah again, one time each for both spellings) but his heart did not seem to be in it. How to reciprocate? Perhaps we should simply wish him: Happy Economic Growth in the Fourth Quarter!
National Post