Grim Milestone: Canada Hits 10 Years of Assisted Dying

Call it what it is! It's NOT "assisted dying"; it's the legal murder of the sick and vulnerable, often without their consent at the insistence of relatives.

From Aleteia

By Theresa Civantos Barber

Canada’s bishops and other advocates continue to speak out against expansions of the law that are being considered, voicing concern and calling for prayers.

Ten years ago this week, Canada legalized assisted suicide. Since then, more than 76,000 Canadians have died this way — now more than 5% of deaths per year — making it one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing assisted-dying programs.

Canada’s bishops and other advocates for life in Canada continue to speak out against possible expansions of the law under consideration, voicing concern and calling for prayers while grieving the many lives lost in the past 10 years. 

Alarming stories continue to circulate about abuses of the existing law, such as one last month about a Catholic priest recovering from a hip fracture who was offered death not just once, but twice.

In a statement marking the sobering anniversary of “Medical Aid in Dying” (MAiD), the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Catholics and all people of goodwill “to remain steadfast in opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide, to pray for the conversion of hearts and minds away from this practice, and to be present to persons who are sick and vulnerable.”

Even after 10 years, they wrote, Canadians must “reject complacency with the status quo on euthanasia” and instead “draw near to those who suffer … [and] accompany them with compassion, practical care, and hope.” They resoundingly affirmed the Catholic belief that “every human life is a gift [and] holds profound dignity and value.”

What bishops fear next

At the same time, the bishops gave a dire warning about where MAiD is headed, as Canada plans various expansions to the already permissive MAiD criteria. The bishops wrote:

Grave concern is warranted regarding the continued expansion of the eligibility criteria for “MAID,” which puts increasing numbers of Canadians at risk. 

In 2016, only individuals whose death was “reasonably foreseeable” were eligible for “MAID” with so-called “safeguards” in place. 

Subsequent legislation in 2021, however, considerably broadened the criteria, expanding access to include those whose death is not reasonably foreseeable, but whose condition is “grievous and irremediable.”

As Canada plans to expand MAiD to those with mental illness as the sole criterion for death, and as debate continues around allowing “mature minors” to choose MAiD, the bishops sounded the alarm that life could be held even more cheaply in Canada.

Disability rights advocates are also calling for everyone to oppose expansion — regardless of religious beliefs. 

Krista Carr, Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Canada, said in a statement:

Canada's assisted dying law currently allows people with disabilities who are not at end of life to receive assisted suicide. The United Nations has stated unequivocally that this practice violates the rights of persons with disabilities and should be repealed. We urge the Government of Canada to … remove eligibility for assisted death for people who are not at end of life, and ensure it is never extended to people with mental illness or mature minors.

Assisted suicide continues its march

This grim march is not just advancing in Canada, of course. Assisted suicide is spreading in the U.S., with the practice now legal in Washington, D.C., and 12 states — California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington — with New York set to join in August.

Canada’s bishops and other advocates repeatedly have warned that offering assisted death acts as a substitute for essential medical care, arguing that vulnerable individuals are being offered MAiD instead of adequate palliative care, mental health support, and disability resources. Canada is something of a cautionary tale, yet an increasing number of other places are following its example.

What can be done?

Prayer is always the first line of defense, and the bishops urged Catholics to persevere in prayer “for those who are sick, suffering, isolated, or nearing the end of life; for their families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals; and for the conversion of hearts and minds toward a culture that receives every life as a gift and never abandons those most in need.”

Besides prayer, offering meaningful alternatives to assisted suicide is of utmost importance. The Catholic Church in Canada continues its steadfast commitment “to building compassionate communities, promoting authentic palliative care, and providing practical support to all who suffer.” 

The bishops and all Catholics can join the Church in Canada and throughout the world in making sure the Christian community remains “a place where people, especially the sick, elderly, disabled, suffering, and dying, are received with love, accompanied with compassion, and reminded that their life remains precious in the eyes of God.”