Canadian Parliament approves Bill C-9 amid warnings from Cardinal Frank Leo
Members of Parliament passed the bill on June 17, rejecting a Conservative motion to withdraw it, as critics including the archbishop of Toronto said the measure would weaken protections for religious expression
Canada's Parliament has approved Bill C-9, legislation that its opponents say could criminalize the citation of biblical passages, particularly on questions related to homosexuality.
The vote took place Wednesday, June 17, 2026, when a majority of members of Parliament rejected a final attempt by Conservative MP Andrew Lawton to halt the bill's progress. The measure now awaits transmission to the governor general for royal assent.
Lawton said on X that "the Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois voted against my motion to withdraw the divisive and toxic Bill C-9 in defense of freedom of expression and of religion."
Lawton said members of the Green Party and the New Democratic Party had supported his position against the measure. He said opposition to the bill had come from both the left and the right, as well as from civil liberties organizations and multiple religious groups.
The legislation includes a Senate amendment making it a crime to use the noose as a symbol of hatred. That change required the text to return to the House of Commons before proceeding to royal assent.
Canadian senators recently rejected another amendment that would have criminalized denial of the abuses committed at residential schools, the government-funded boarding schools that Indigenous children were required to attend.
Conservative MP Brad Redekopp called the approval a "dark day" for Canada and for religious freedom, describing it as an "assault" on faith.
Redekopp wrote on X: "Today is a dark day in Canadian history. The House has passed Bill C-9, an attack on religious freedom that removes long-standing protections for Canadians who express sincere beliefs. Conservatives fought this bill every step of the way, and we will keep fighting until religious freedom is restored."
Pro-life and faith organizations in Canada have raised concerns about the reach of the legislation. Among the critics is Cardinal Frank Leo, the metropolitan archbishop of Toronto.
Leo sent a letter to Canadian senators in which he acknowledged the importance of combating hatred and protecting individuals and communities from violence. He argued that the bill requires substantial changes.
Constitutional law specialists have warned that the legislation could give police and the government powers to pursue people considered to have offended the "feelings" of others in a "hateful" way.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser introduced Bill C-9 last year. The bill would remove section 319(3)(b) of Canada's Criminal Code, which currently protects the expression in good faith of religious beliefs based on sacred texts such as the Bible.
Campaign Life Coalition criticized the bill's approval in the Senate, saying that "God will not be mocked." The organization says the measure threatens fundamental rights of believing Canadians.
Jeff Gunnarson, national president of Campaign Life Coalition, said: "This is a dark day for religious freedom and freedom of expression in Canada."
