I I am: Celine Dion People were hoping she would talk about her faith — she comes from a large Roman Catholic family and has declared herself a staunch Catholic — and so they were hoping she would turn to her faith to get through her illness, but Celine Dion never mentioned her religion.
In retrospect, it is not surprising that religion took a back seat. 2018 works Dion rarely speaks publicly about his faith, but despite never explicitly discussing religion, there are undercurrents of faith throughout the documentary, which begins with moving memories of Dion’s childhood and ends with his current struggles with stiff-person syndrome.
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Though her religious faith is not explicitly stated, her spirituality often shines through, especially when it comes to her love for her family. “Moments like these will stay with you forever,” she says, as childhood photos of her family flash on screen.
The only explicit mention of Dion’s religious background is in stories about the strength of her family, especially her mother. Growing up with 13 siblings, Dion describes her childhood as warm and loving, but also difficult at times. She describes how her parents sometimes struggled to feed the family, and recounts how her mother would make carrot pie one night when there was little food in the fridge.
“My mother never said, ‘I’m not having anything tonight.’ She started making the dough. [were] Carrots… she said she prayed about it before. [serving us dinner]”She prayed she wouldn’t hear, ‘Mommy, what’s that?'”
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This account of prayer recalls her family’s religious faith, but the story also shows that her mother believed in herself and in her ability to make the best of her situation, with the love and support of her family.
It’s the sort of mantra that follows Celine throughout the documentary, as she struggles to make the best of the one-in-a-million disease she’s been diagnosed with, as a global pop star and single mother of two.
This confidence in herself was also evident in a recent interview with CBC News’ Adrienne Arsenault: When asked if she felt pressure from fans to return to the stage, Dion was quick and confident in her response.
“I’ll sing again,” she says, and viewers can’t help but believe her.
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Amara Hasham Steele During summer internship Broadview, Based in Toronto.
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