Canadian Christian Convicted of Hate Crime; Vatican Shifts on Hate Speech

A Toronto court found Christian activist Bill Whatcott guilty of a hate crime over flyers distributed at a 2016 Pride parade, rejecting his defence that the material was religious outreach; he faces sentencing in December and is barred from leaving Canada. Separately, the Vatican's new UN observer said hate speech cannot claim protection under liberty, a shift from the Holy See's 2024 warning that such laws risk censorship and compelled speech. The cases show growing pressure on exclusive religious expression regarding sexuality, with church diplomacy itself edging toward accepting restrictions once resisted as a threat to religious freedom.