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
Palliative care supports patients physically, spiritually, and emotionally at the end of life. The goal of palliative care is not to hasten the patient's death, but to attend to all types of suffering and alleviate pain to improve quality of life. Palliative care experts indicate that all physical pain can be treated at end of life.
Did you know that MAiD in Canada is growing at a faster rate than in any other country on earth? It is estimated that 60,000 Canadians have died from MAiD since it was legalized in 2016. Most people don’t realize that the criteria that decides who is approved for MAiD were written by one judge in British Columbia.
In 2023, Normand Meunier, a quadriplegic, developed bedsores because he was not given an appropriate mattress during a five-day stay in a Montréal emergency room. He then requested and was given MAiD by a lethal injection. Normand's choice for MAiD can be directly linked to the lack of adequate support for people experiencing vulnerabilities. In 2027, MAiD will be expanded to include people whose primary illness is related to mental health. The waiting period for MAiD will be three months. The current average waiting period to see a psychiatrist in Canada is 6 months.
For more information and reflections on MAiD and it’s impact CLICK HERE
Since the expansion of MAiD in 2021, people with disabilities and chronic conditions are now eligible. This has caused great concern from members of the disability community because they feel that by amending the law, Canadian society is saying that some lives are not worth living. Last week, two prominent disability groups brought a lawsuit against the government asking the court to reverse a law which allowed MAiD for people with a disability.
