Happy Canada Day: Patriotism and Catholicism

Happy Canada Day!  To my non-Canadian readers, let me inform you that today is Canada Day; the anniversary of the birth of our nation, similar to what July 4 is to Americans.  Today, Canada turns 150 years old.  This may seem impressive but in the end does it really matter?  Although I am a tax paying citizen of Canada, my earthly citizenship is far less relevant compared to my eternal citizenship.  I’m also a member of the Catholic Church, an organization that has existed since the New Testament and will continue to exist until the end of time.  Canada can’t beat that.

In 107 AD, St. Ignatius of Antioch, writing to the Smyrnaeans wrote:

Wherever the bishop appear, there let the multitude be; even as wherever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.

This was written over 1700 years before the modern nation state of Canada existed.  I should point out that besides Quebec, Canada has never been a Catholic nation.  It has been Protestant with Catholic minorities.

Canada has an ugly history as well.  We were one of the first countries to legalize homosexual “marriage” which is pretty sad.  We even beat the supposedly liberal Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway by several years in this regard.  Is that something to be proud of?

We also have many social welfare programs, yet many First Nations people still live in abysmal conditions.  It’s pretty depressing driving through the reservations in Canada.  Our schools are a disaster as well.  Recent graduates who come out of school don’t know how to think at all.  They only know what to think and to never question it.  When I encounter a recent graduate of grade 12 and they ask me for advice on life I tell them to forget everything they’ve learnt in school save the math.  It’s all propaganda used to dumb down the culture and make it easier for the ruling class to implement their cultural agenda.

How does a religious person relate to their country, especially a non-Christian country like Canada or America?  Simple, as a Christian, the gospel must continue to be spread.  We need to inform people about Scripture and Tradition, which is something that they get absolutely nothing of in their 12 years of public education.  We also need to pray for the leader of the country.  Every Christian in Canada should be praying for Justin Trudeau to promote the Kingship of Christ.  I know that the Kingship of Christ doesn’t seem to be in his interests but that simply means that our prayers are that much more important.

Lastly, we need to remember that as Christians, we cannot let the philosophy of our Canadian government or any other government influence our faith.  Remember, the Christian faith existed long before Canada existed and will continue to exist once Canada is gone.  This is especially important for my American friends to the south to understand since Americanism has been condemned by the Holy See under Pope Leo XIII.  This should be kept in mind when in a few days, Americans celebrate the birth of their nation state.

I am a citizen of Canada but as Christians we need to realize that our eternal citizenship which was won for us by Jesus Christ on the cross is much more important.  I’ll only live in Canada in my earthly life, but the almighty has better plans for those who follow His Son.  Don’t let your country become an idol.