Bishops Call on Canadians To Contact MPs Now

CANADIANS!!! You can contact your MP here. Do it now. You don't even have to put a stamp on it, because "Mail may be sent postage-free to any Member of Parliament at the following address:[Name of Member of Parliament], House of Commons, Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6" (from the official Commons website).

From Aleteia

By Theresa Civantos Barber

Canada’s Catholic bishops are urging Canadians to speak up and contact politicians to prevent a serious escalation of the "assisted dying" (MAiD) criteria.

Canada's bishops are calling on Catholics to contact their Members of Parliament before March 2027, when the country's assisted suicide program is set to expand yet again, to cover mental illness as a sole qualifying condition.

The program, “Medical Aid in Dying” (MAiD), has drawn criticism from human rights advocates across the world. Since its legalization 10 years ago, over 60,000 Canadians have died by MAiD — including more than 5% of all Canadian deaths in 2024 alone. 

Now Canada’s Catholic bishops are urging Canadians to speak up and contact their Members of Parliament (MPs) to prevent a serious escalation of MAiD criteria. Up to this point, the criteria to be eligible for MAiD had to include a physical health condition, such as illness or disability. But beginning in March 2027, Canada is planning an expansion that would allow MAiD for mental illness as a sole condition. 

The planned expansion raises grave concerns about repercussions on vulnerable people, even among MAiD's supporters. What will be the effect on those lacking social or financial support? How can this expansion not run directly counter to suicide prevention efforts? 

Bill C-218, a private members’ bill currently before Parliament, would amend the Criminal Code to prevent MAiD from being provided when mental illness is the sole underlying condition. Without this change, MAiD will be available for those suffering from mental illness alone beginning in March 2027.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is calling on Canadians to speak up in support of Bill C-218 as part of the Help Not Harm campaign currently underway in the Archdiocese of Toronto and throughout Canada. 

Catholics are asked to contact their Member of Parliament through the Help Not Harm portal and ask them to support Bill C-218. The process takes less than three minutes. A vote on the legislation is expected by late May or early June 2026.

It's worth noting that Catholics represent roughly 30% of Canada's population — a significant voice in any political issue.

Cardinal speaks up

Meanwhile, the bishops are taking their own advice. On April 20, Cardinal Frank Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, wrote to Prime Minister Carney and all federal MPs in the Archdiocese of Toronto asking for their support of Bill C-218 and decrying the rapid expansion of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. 

Cardinal Leo’s letter said, in part:

A society is rightly judged by how it cares for its most vulnerable members… I ask you to choose life and not death; to help build a civilization that cares for those suffering and does not eliminate them, but instead surrounds them with dignity, compassion, and love.

You can read the letter in its entirety here and follow along with developments at the CCCB website. 

The bishops' ask is simple — if you're Canadian, contact your MP. And for those elsewhere in the world, let's add Canada to our prayers.