Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe refused to back down after he was criticized for attacking the nomination of a Conservative candidate running in a suburban riding near Montreal.

A newspaper reported this morning that Nicole Charbonneau Barron, a prominent member of Opus Dei, will run as a Conservative. Opus Dei is an ultra-conservative branch of the Roman Catholic church.

Duceppe immediately denounced the nomination, saying it is more evidence of the Conservatives' extreme social values. Duceppe says Opus Dei opposes the right to same-sex marriage and access to abortions. And he noted the Catholic offshoot also condones auto-flagellation.

Stephen Harper responded by accusing Duceppe of religious intolerance.

Later in the day, Duceppe denied the charge.

He was also forced on the defensive when a reporter pointed to the fact his own party had (until the election call on Sunday) an MP who was an ordained Catholic priest. The Vatican firmly opposes same-sex marriage and abortion.

—Tim Duboyce