A Quebec court has denied an application by the City of Montreal to toss out a lawsuit filed by a church over a city fine following an event with a U.S. Christian musician.
The City issued a $2,500 fine to Ministerios Restauración/Église MR after the event on July 25, 2025, saying the church didn’t have the proper permit for the event. The church had invited musician Sean Feucht to the venue after his permit to perform in Quebec City was cancelled.
At the time, Feucht said the event was a worship service and that the city wanted to “fine the church for doing what the church does – WORSHIP.”
He added there was “no bigger scandal in Canada.”
Democracy Fund lawyers argued the Charter challenges raised by the church’s lawsuit should be considered by the Superior Court as issues such as the freedom of religion, speech, and assembly are constitutionally protected rights that the city’s actions infringed upon.
The court’s decision means the church’s lawsuit will proceed to a full hearing, the date for which has not yet been released.
The Epoch Times attempted to contact the City for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
Democracy Fund lawyers have asked the court to quash the ticket in a case that has attracted several interveners, including the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, and the Réseau évangélique du Québec.
Mark Joseph, litigation director for the Democracy Fund, called the court decision an “important preliminary victory” for the church.
“TDF lawyers will get the chance to argue that the City violated the rights of Montreal church members when it interfered by issuing a $2,500 fine for engaging in peaceful worship,” he said.
Permit Cancelled
Catherine Cadotte, a spokesperson with the mayor’s office, told The Epoch Times prior to the Montreal event that the church did not have a concert permit for the July 25 performance. Cadotte warned a fine would be issued if the event went ahead.City of Montreal officials had previously said Feucht expressed hateful and discriminatory speech. Feucht has described himself on social media as a missionary, musician, and author and has spoken out against gender ideology and abortion. After facing a series of cancellations of his events in Canada, Feucht said he is a victim of “Christian persecution” in Canada, criticizing what he described as censorship in the country.
Codette told The Epoch Times in a July 29, 2025, email that the church did not have a “certificate of occupancy” that permitted concerts or performances.
Several municipalities and Parks Canada cancelled permits for scheduled public events featuring Feucht during July and August 2025, including the York Redoubt National Historic Site in Nova Scotia, Charlottetown, Quebec City, and Gatineau, Que. The events were part of Feucht’s “Let Us Worship” North American tour.
Quebec City Lawsuit
A separate lawsuit has been filed against Quebec City for its cancellation of a permit for a Feucht booking at ExpoCité on July 24, 2025. At the time, a City spokesperson told The Epoch Times the musician’s appearance had not been mentioned as part of the contract between the concert promoter and the venue.It said the new information led ExpoCité to terminate the contract.
At that time, JCCF said Burn 24/7 paid the rental fee of $2,609.93 on July 14, 2025, and that the city cancelled the agreement on July 23. In the lawsuit, the organization said the city referred to clauses related to “illegal solicitation” and “use of premises” that the city says gave it the authority to terminate the contract.
According to JCCF, city officials also said that an “artist who generates significant controversy has consequences for ExpoCité’s reputation.”
JCCF argues that the City’s decision amounts to discrimination based on religion and political opinion.
