Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller’s letter to MPs in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, urging them to support legislation restricting young people’s access to sexually explicit online material. It follows an earlier letter written by Toronto Archbishop Francis Leo.

I am writing to express concern regarding the unrestricted access to online pornography in Canada, particularly in relation to the active Bill S-210, An Act to Restrict Young Persons' Online Access to Sexually Explicit Material. The Archdiocese of Vancouver, with close to 400,000 Catholics and over 16,000 students in our 52 schools, is requesting your support to pass Bill S-210 for the safety of all individuals, and especially that of the most vulnerable: our children and youth. 

Teachers and administrators in Canadian schools, as well as all levels of government, must support parents in their responsibility of providing care, health and safety for their children. Parents need the collaboration of government in demanding that internet companies, such as Pornhub, put in place robust limitations so that children with cell phones and other devices cannot unwittingly be exposed to pornography. 

Bill S-210 seeks to prevent sexually explicit material from being available to underage youth on the internet. It would require internet service providers and sites reliably to verify the age of the potential users. It would restrict children and youth from premature access to adult content on the internet. 

Research shows that there are serious long-term detrimental effects on children's psychological development when viewing pornography, including the increased risk of sexual exploitation and violence. Canada would do well to follow other countries, such as Australia and the UK, that have already taken steps to prioritize protecting underage youth from exposure to pornography over the interests of the online industry, which must be held accountable for allowing underage youth to access adult sites. 

We understand that the Senate has passed Bill S-210 unanimously and that it has passed the second reading in the House of Commons, and has now been referred to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. We are encouraged by the efforts of all parties thus far and are hopeful that Parliament will move quickly to enact Bill S-210 this fall. 

P carefully consider the true gravity of this issue and take this positive step forward to ensure that young people in Canada are protected from all the serious harms that come from viewing online pornography. 

Vancouver

Sept. 12, 2024

Letter from Archbishop Francis Leo

As (you are) a Member of Parliament in the boundaries of the Archdiocese of Toronto, which comprises close to two million Catholics, I wanted to draw your attention to Bill S-210 and respectfully ask you to consider supporting this legislation. It should be distressing and appalling to all of us considering the harmful, degrading sexually explicit online content to which all are exposed and most especially our youth. At present and most regrettably, young people can easily access pornography on the Internet, which can lead down a dark and destructive path, spiritually damaging, normalizing sexual violence and significantly impacting their mental health and brain development. We should also be deeply concerned that the notion of healthy and loving relationships are significantly compromised for all persons and especially for young people exposed to pornography in their formative years. Given the vast accessibility of pornography sites online, an affront to basic human decency and moral integrity, those posting material should be responsible for ensuring that explicit content cannot be accessed by minors throughout Canada. 

This bill will ensure providers are held accountable, using the appropriate technology to assure age verification while also protecting the privacy of users. (It) would be a step forward as we look to build a society 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.

I am pleased to see support among members from all parties for Bill S-210. The legislation has passed second reading with committee meetings held last month as the bill makes its way through the legislative process. Once again, I would ask you to consider supporting this important legislation….

Thank you for your careful consideration.

Toronto

June 12, 2024