Religious Freedom

Montreal Archbishop Christian Lepine said the coming weeks will present a prime opportunity to learn whether there is any leeway to host a public prayer event after Bill 9 became law in Quebec April 2.

Those who insist Canada courts no danger by removing long-standing Criminal Code protections for religious speech should turn their attention to Finland, of all places.

In a brief five minutes, Phil Horgan summed up Canada's bishops feelings on Quebec's Bill 21: it spurns God and imposes an anti-religious ideology in the province, and that goes well beyond Quebec's jurisdiction.

Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, advanced to the Senate. The House of Commons adopted it with a 186-137 vote at third reading.

The 11 months since the 2025 federal election have seen the Liberals introduce several bills with significant digital policy implications: Bill C-2, Bill C-8 and, most recently, Bill C-22, tabled on March 12.

In a 186-144 vote, the House of Commons today closed debate on the controversial Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, opening the door to remove the good faith religious speech protections in the Criminal Code.

The Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva called on governments and international organizations to strengthen religious freedom protections for persecuted Christians.

A proposed amendment to Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, will only create greater uncertainty, said Conservative MP Andrew Lawton.

During his Jan. 30 address at the Conservative Party of Canada's national policy convention (Jan. 29-31) in Calgary, Poilievre told those gathered, "You will have the ability to worship God in your own way.”

Groups that opposed Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act and its threat to criminalize religious speech, are celebrating after the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights voted Jan. 26 to delay further consideration until after tackling Bill C-14, the Bail Reform and Sentencing Act.