The City of Windsor is cutting prayer from its council meetings.
The decision comes after a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada in a Quebec town, which makes it illegal to read prayers before a council session there.
Mayor Drew Dilkens says prayer before each meeting never bothered him, but he believes Canada's highest authority has just set a precedent. "Our initial understanding of the decision is that we must stop prayer at City Council Chambers. So we will implement the Supreme Court of Canada's decision and respect that decision."
The City of Windsor had already been fairly hands-off when it came to organizing the prayer portion of each meeting. That was done by a pastor, who would bring in members from various religions in the community to share a message or prayer before the biweekly meetings.
