Canadian Politics and why I love it

This reminds me of that time Parliament put everything down to discuss whether or not Shane Doan should represent Team Canada as its captain because of his alleged remarks against the French. Or like that time no one could do anything about the economy because there was a big hissy fit about coalition governments being undemocratic.

Full disclosure: I'm not a fan of Stephen Harper's Conservatives (the political party), nor am I a fan of Roman Catholicism (the institution), so this confluence of events tickles me something fierce.

Catholics believe in transubstantiation, wherein the wafer and wine received during the Sacrament of Eucharist is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ. Literally. Only baptized Roman Catholics 10 and up are to receive the host (body). Those who wish to abstain are to cross their arms across their chests, or shake their heads, or tilt their heads up, or just don't get in the line to indicate polite refusal.

Stephen Harper is of the Protestant mold, and thus has a different view of the Eucharistic ceremony. But in the eyes of Catholics, it looks like he put a piece of Jesus, their Lord and Saviour, born of the Mother of God and crucified on a cross, into his suit jacket pocket. In my opinion, their ire -- however misguided -- is hardly justified. While Harper should have known better than to catch the priest's attention to receive the wafer, the priest should have known better than to serve the host to a Protestant; they are supposed to ask recipients if they are baptized Catholics first.

Harper's spokesperson/damage-control, Dimitri Soudas, has already issued a statement: "The story today alleges he put it in his pocket and did not consume it which is false. It's totally absurd and ridiculous."

This debacle completely overshadowed the event (memorial for Romeo LeBlanc). It's more fun to blow up a pointless thing into a huge kerfuffle rather than to talk about actual problems.