Archbishop Leo Writes to Members of Parliament Regarding Bill S-210

On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the Most Reverend Francis Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto wrote to Members of Parliament in ridings within the Archdiocese of Toronto regarding the proposed Bill S-210 which seeks to protect youth from access to explicit online material.

In his letter encouraging MP’s to support the bill, Archbishop Leo writes, “This piece of legislation would be a step forward as we look to build a society which is free from such detrimental and unethical practices, protected against a toxic industry which normalizes the degradation of human persons, desensitizes the spirit and celebrates violence and immorality.”

“We look to a future imbued with a robust moral fabric which allows for individuals, families and communities to thrive, to grow and to lead lives of fulfillment and where our children are kept safe from such addictive and nocent influences.”

Full text of the archbishop’s letter can be found here.

According to the Parliament of Canada website, the purpose of Bill S-210 is, “to protect public health and public safety and, in particular, to:

1. protect the mental health of young persons by restricting their access to sexually explicit material;
2. protect Canadians — in particular, young persons and women — from the harmful effects of the exposure of young persons to sexually explicit material, including demeaning material and material depicting sexual violence; and
3. deter organizations that make sexually explicit material available on the Internet for commercial purposes from allowing young persons to access that material.”

Catholics wishing to respectfully express their views on this matter are welcome to contact their local MP and can find contact information by visiting the link here.