Two bills that undermine freedom of religion

Under the pretext of secularity, what is in fact being applied in Quebec and in Canada today is secularism, through two bills that directly threaten freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Unlike secularity — which means that the State has no official religion but does not prohibit or combat religions — the governments are implementing a policy of secularism that is hostile to all forms of religion and seeks to prohibit any expression or manifestation of religion in public, in schools, and elsewhere. These two bills must be firmly rejected.

The Canadian bill

Let us begin with the Canadian bill. On the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, one can read the following press release dated December 4, 2025, entitled "Proposed Restrictions on Religious Freedom – Bill C-9":

"The Liberal government has reached an agreement with the Bloc Québécois concerning an amendment to eliminate the religious exemption clause from Canada's hate speech legislation in Section 319 (3) (b) of the Criminal Code. This initiative is intended to garner support for Bill C-9, titled 'An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime, and access to religious or cultural places).' The current provision in the Criminal Code slated for removal states: "(3) No person shall be convicted of an offence under subsection (2) […] (b) if, in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text."

"Given all that could be at stake if the amendment passes, the Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, with other government officials in carbon copy."

Here are excerpts from this letter, signed by Bishop Pierre Goudreault, Bishop of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:

"The removal of this provision (the religious exemption clause) risks creating uncertainty for faith communities, clergy, educators, and others who may fear that the expression of traditional moral or doctrinal teachings could be misinterpreted as hate speech and could subject the speaker to proceedings that threaten imprisonment of up to two years...

 "For these reasons, we respectfully urge the Government of Canada: To ensure Bill C-9 does not remove the religious-text defence from the Criminal Code... We believe it is possible to achieve the shared objective of promoting a society free from genuine hatred while also upholding the constitutional rights of millions of Canadians who draw moral and spiritual guidance from their faith traditions."

The Quebec bill

Let us now turn to the Quebec bill. On the website of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec, one can read a statement dated November 25, 2025, entitled "Secularity – Quebec's Catholic Bishops Concerned by the Elements Made Public." Here are some excerpts: 

"It is with deep concern that the Catholic bishops of Quebec have learned, through the news media, of certain elements of Bill 9 on state secularity, which is to be tabled on November 27. We are astonished to see that the government is proposing a radical infringement of the rights and freedoms of the Quebec population.

"If the measures disclosed to date are confirmed in the bill, the government would be undermining not only freedom of religion, but also freedom of conscience, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association. In our view, the government has not demonstrated the necessity of legislating in this manner.

"Secularity concerns the State and its direct representatives, not the interactions between individuals and groups which together form society. Religious and spiritual experience constitutes one of the fundamental dimensions of human life and must be able to be lived without fear of reprisal in our democratic society."

In summary, the Catholic bishops of Quebec criticize the bill on secularity for restricting citizens' religious expression in public and educational spaces; for example by prohibiting any religious manifestation in public places.

All citizens of Quebec and Canada are urged to contact their elected representatives to express their opposition to these liberty-restricting bills, which are unworthy of a free country and more characteristic of totalitarian states.