Prime Minister Mark Carney urged politicians to value generosity and think of their lasting legacies at the annual Christian prayer breakfast in Ottawa.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a call for politicians to be humble in their service and think broadly about their legacy as he offered his perspective on faith and public life Tuesday morning.
Mr. Carney, as well as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, were among the MPs who attended the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual Christian event held in downtown Ottawa.
Mr. Carney, who is Catholic, opened his remarks with a verse from the Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, that he said highlights God’s generosity – something he said politicians must keep in mind.
“We parliamentarians are only in this room because we have received abundantly, certainly a determination that does not recognize obstacles, probably an intelligence that is restless and, one hopes, discernment to see what truly matters,” he said.
Mr. Carney shakes hands with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Conservative MP Richard Bragdon also attended the prayer breakfast.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
In French, he also said parliamentarians are often called upon to channel the generosity of those they serve, reconciling that with budgetary realities and the principles of freedoms.
Religious freedoms are this week being discussed in the House of Commons, as MPs consider the Liberal government’s legislation on combatting hate crimes. Conservatives, as well as some religious leaders, say the bill restricts religious expression, which the Liberals say is untrue.
The Supreme Court as well is considering the question of religious freedoms in the context of its landmark hearing on Quebec’s Bill 21, which prohibits public-sector workers, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols such as a hijab or a cross on the job.
Those debates did not come up during Tuesday morning’s event, which also included an emotional tribute to those killed in the shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
Though Mr. Carney opened his remarks with Christian scripture, he closed with what he said was a nod to the Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius – of whom Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a devotee.
“Be humble, however grand you are today, or may become tomorrow, you too will be forgotten,” Mr. Carney said.
“With the centuries, our names become puzzles, but our generosity can live on as examples that multiply through the values and the service of others.”
In his own remarks, Mr. Poilievre reflected on a phrase from the Book of Hebrews that he interpreted as leaders always needing to be on their best behaviour as they walk into the House of Commons.
“We will be held to account by our fellow parliamentarians, not out of vengeance or out of meanness, rather out of our determination to hold ourselves to the highest possible standards for the people who are witnessing us, the people we serve, the common people,” he said.
Mr. Poilievre was raised Catholic, though unlike Mr. Carney, he is not known to regularly attend services.
The prime minister last week was in Rome, where he attended a private concert at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
The event was organized by the Genesis Foundation, led by American-British financier John Studzinski, also a Catholic and who has known Mr. Carney for years.
In 2025, Mr. Studzinski published a book on a theme similar to Mr. Carney’s remarks Tuesday – generosity.
Mr. Carney contributed a promotional blurb for the book.
