On Medical Assistance in Dying and Hope in Christ: A toolkit to share our message
In June 2026, euthanasia, commonly known as MAiD, became legal in Canada. This changed the medical and healthcare landscape for all Canadians. For Canadian Catholics specifically, this raises moral questions that lead to difficult conversations or to their avoidance.
To bring greater awareness, understanding, and faithful action regarding MAiD, the Archdiocese created a toolkit titled "On Medical Assistance in Dying and Hope in Christ: A toolkit to share our message". The toolkit equips people to:
- Understand the current context of MAiD in Canada and Nova Scotia
- Talk about MAiD with family, friends, and parishioners
- Understand our Catholic teaching and stance against MAiD
- Access further resources
The toolkit is aimed at clergy, hospital chaplains, and those in pastoral care; however, it is available to all. The toolkit is meant to be used as a DIGITAL RESOURCE on your computer, tablet, or phone, and can be accessed by clicking the toolkit image to the left.
Many of the links within the toolkit connect to the resource directly, apart from the links below:
Dying with Christ, Living with Hope
If someone wants to die by euthanasia, how can we respond to help them choose life? First, we need to listen. Careful listening will help them feel safe to share their innermost thoughts about what led them to this conclusion. We need to help them vocalize their suffering. This requires vulnerability and great trust. Once they are honest about their true feelings, they may be willing to undertake some brainstorming about other ways to deal with the feelings that are at the root of their decision. A commitment to accompany the person through whatever they face can give them the courage to live through their dying process.
The Christian Medical and Dental Association – Canada (CMDA) will host another series of it’s Dying with Christ, Living with Hope sessions this winter. The two options for the sessions are:
Despite its innocent sounding name, MAiD can destroy your soul. Participating in euthanasia can be a mortal sin, provided it is undertaken with full knowledge and complete consent.
The idea of “dying with dignity” seems to suggest that a person can lose their dignity at a certain point of their illness or disability. In April 2024, the Church wrote the following: “each human being, regardless of their vulnerabilities, receives his or her dignity from the sole fact of being willed and loved by God.” (Infinite Dignity) The Church was critical of cultures which “marginalize or even oppress individuals with disabilities, treating them as ‘rejects’”. Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out against a “throwaway culture” that does not provide support and love to people who are experiencing vulnerabilities, but instead offers death through euthanasia.
