The controversy that hit the political TV programs in early November started on social media in October when Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro complained on Facebook that his local Catholic school board in the Peterborough diocese had invited Trudeau to speak to students for a second time.

“If they are looking for a truly great speaker, who also happens to be a practising Catholic, perhaps they might invite Minister Jason Kenney,” Del Mastro wrote. “Are there any tenets of the Catholic faith that Justin supports?”

Trudeau told Canadian Press Nov. 1 he was “surprisingly upset” to have his Catholic faith questioned by Del Mastro, who is also the Prime Minister’s parliamentary secretary. Del Mastro is Pentecostal.

“For someone to start questioning my own faith and accusing me of being a bad Catholic is something that I really take issue with,” Trudeau said. “My own personal faith is an extremely important part of who I am and the values that I try to lead with.”

Trudeau, 39, has marched in gay pride parades, supports gay marriage and has described himself as “pro-choice,” though he says he is personally opposed to abortion. He told CP he sees nothing inconsistent with his Catholic faith in promoting the rights of gays and lesbians.

Public personalities who wish to be seen as Catholic have special obligations because of the power they exercise, said Lynch, who is a professor of social justice and has taught at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto and Saint Paul University in Ottawa. Public personalities who wish to be seen as Catholic have special obligations because of the power they exercise, he said. 

“(Trudeau) has chosen to speak about those issues and declare himself whatever a good Catholic is.”

Trudeau, like all lay faithful, “has an obligation to form his conscience properly” and to teach in a way that faithfully hands down the faith, he said.

Lynch acknowledged that implementing or applying Church teachings in a pluralistic society in a practical way requires wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He also said there was a difference between actively dissenting from Church teaching and withholding assent because one doesn’t understand a doctrine or one’s reason is clouded by emotion.

“I don’t see why Justin Trudeau should be exempted from the universal call of the lay faithful” to form their consciences, he said, suggesting Trudeau familiarize himself with Church teachings.

“He’s not unusual,” Lynch said, noting some Catholics “are fulfilling their obligation appropriately in public life and some are not.”

Trudeau, who has received widespread sympathy after Del Mastro’s criticism, brought up the matter at a Nov. 2 reception on religious freedom here sponsored by One Free World International.

“We need to be better than division,” Trudeau the told 200 guests that included MPs from all the main political parties and leaders from the Iraqi Canadian community, citing his personal experience of being called a bad Catholic.

“We are all the same,” Trudeau said, but added humanity “goes very tribal” and starts pointing the finger when faced with conflict and uncertainty.

“It’s very tempting to point fingers and generalize,” he said, citing climate change, resource depletion, the widening gap between the haves and have-nots and conflict over resources as temptations to divide.