JUSTIN TRUDEAU has been a far-from-perfect Prime Minister of Canada. There were minor scandals, personal misjudgements, and a pride that prevented his resigning earlier. But, if we consider calmly and objectively his nine years in office, he was in many ways one of the more Christian premiers in the democratic world.

This suggestion will shock and outrage many people. Within hours of his resignation announcement, there were countless editorials and columns in the Christian and conservative media denouncing this Liberal leader as an enemy of the faith. The National Catholic Register, in the United States, roared: “Over his nine-year reign as Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau has championed causes that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings with respect to human life and undertaken other actions that have harmed the local Church.”

It is theological shorthand, of course, which really means that they detest him because he led a country that allows abortion and enshrines women’s rights, champions same-sex marriage and gay equality, has legalised assisted dying, and closed churches during the deadly Covid pandemic. Abortion rights and equal marriage were, in fact, part of Canadian life long before Mr Trudeau came on the scene, although he was Prime Minister in 2016 when medical assistance in dying (MAID) was introduced. In his defence, many of us failed to see how damaging this decision would eventually be (Comment, 5 January 2024).

As for closing churches during Covid, the policy was supported by the leadership of the vast majority of denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, which accounts for almost 30 per cent of the population. The measure saved lives, as did Mr Trudeau’s remarkably speedy procurement of vaccines when they were frighteningly scarce. He also provided financial support for businesses and individuals during the shutdown.

OUTSIDE of the pandemic, he accepted and resettled thousands of Syrian refugees, introduced numerous climate-justice measures, worked for affordable public day care, supported human rights abroad, and pursued a balanced policy and advocated peace in the Middle East.

He appointed a cabinet that was 50 per cent female, through his repeated appointments made women the majority on the Supreme Court for the first time in Canadian history; and he acted effectively on reconciliation with Canada’s indigenous people. He legalised cannabis, so as to prevent people, especially the young, from receiving damaging and unnecessary criminal records, and stood up to and was impressively gracious in dealing with abusive personal and family attacks that were staggering in their intensity.

So, whatever one thinks of the man — and it was time for him to go — it’s difficult to see him as a vehement anti-Christian. It is true that some churches were subject to arson attacks after more cases of the Church’s appalling treatment of native children were revealed, but, while Mr Trudeau could, arguably, have spoken out more firmly, he can hardly be blamed for these crimes.

On a personal level, as an ordinary priest, I have found that some of the anti-poverty and welfare programmes initiated by the Trudeau government have made my work a great deal easier. There is still, however, much more to be done.

PART of the raw dislike of the man is because of his father, Pierre Trudeau, who genuinely did change Canada and, some claim, enabled it to become a permissive and non-Christian country. That assumes, of course, that Christianity and modern, liberal values are somehow mutually exclusive. I would argue the contrary, and that the Trudeaus, father and son, rooted their ideology in a Christian, specifically Roman Catholic, commitment to equality, dignity, and justice.

But then this strange confusion about what constitutes Christian political virtue has become increasingly and sadly obvious. The vast majority of white Evangelicals in the US, for example, revere and repeatedly vote for Donald Trump, whose personal life, criminal record, and lack of integrity are infamous.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, is a devoted family man and a dedicated believer who was referred to by some of his more extreme religious opponents as the Antichrist. We even see Christians supporting President Putin as a stalwart of the Church, praising him as an alternative to what is said to be the decadent West. Homophobia and ultra-conservatism are seldom far below the surface of those claims.

The next government will almost certainly tighten borders, reduce or remove environmental-protection taxes, attack public broadcasting, question economic-redistribution policies, abandon various progressive ideals, and strengthen Canada’s links with the Trump presidency. But it will probably also speak of Christian values, mention God and prayer a great deal, and wish people a merry Christmas — and, because of that, be seen as a firm defender of Christianity. I sometimes wonder whether the Church always knows who its real friends and allies even are.

The Revd Michael Coren is a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada. His latest book, Heaping Coals: From media firebrand to Anglican priest, is published by Dundurn (Features, 29 November 2024).