Catholic bishops warn Carney government that Bill C-9 threatens religious freedom

Canada’s Catholic bishops are urging the federal government to reconsider planned amendments to Bill C-9.

Canada’s Catholic bishops are urging the federal government to reconsider planned amendments to Bill C-9, which would repeal a long-standing Criminal Code defence for good-faith expressions of religious belief. They warned that the change risks undermining freedom of religion and expression.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) outlined its concerns in a letter sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday.

The letter was shared by Conservative MP Larry Brock on X, calling the proposed amendments “a threat to people of all faiths.”

Bill C-9, the government’s hate-speech and hate-symbols legislation, is expected to be amended at committee with support from the Liberals and Bloc Québécois to remove Section 319(3)(b) of the Criminal Code.

The clause currently provides a defence for individuals who, “in good faith,” express opinions based on a religious text while discussing matters of doctrine.

In the two-page letter, CCCB President Bishop Pierre Goudreault wrote that eliminating the exemption would “risk creating uncertainty for faith communities,” including clergy and educators who may fear that traditional teachings could be misinterpreted as hate speech.

The bishops emphasized that while they “unequivocally affirm the importance of condemning hatred” and protecting vulnerable communities, the existing defence has served as “an essential safeguard” ensuring that Canadians are not criminally prosecuted for sincere religious views “made without animus and grounded in long-standing religious traditions.”

They warned that removing the clause could have a “chilling effect” on religious expression even if prosecutions remain unlikely, given that “public understanding of hate speech and its legal implications are often far broader than what the Criminal Code actually captures.”

The CCCB also noted that the defence has been supported by civil liberties groups who view it as a key component of Canada’s commitment to pluralism under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The bishops asked the government either to ensure Bill C-9 does not remove the exemption or, alternatively, to publicly clarify that good-faith religious teaching will not be subjected to prosecution. They also urged the government to commit to broad consultation with religious leaders and legal experts before proceeding.

Brock said Conservatives would oppose any attempt to “silence good-faith religious teaching or criminalize people for expressing sincerely held beliefs.”