Ministry of Care and Companionship

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

Care at End of Life

A reminder that as a Church, we honour and uphold the dignity of every human being from conception to natural death. Our parish leaders walk with many who face end of life issues. Archbishop Dunn also encourages all the faithful to understand better how we can care for one another. A couple of resources to offer:

Pastoral Guidance from Archbishop Dunn Regarding Maid (English/French)
Burying the Dead, Grieving Well: A Guide for Catholics on Bodily Disposition and Grief (pdf). Addressed to the faithful at large and to all people of good will, the Guide reflects on how we treat the bodies of the deceased and how we live out our grief when faced with the death of a loved one. It deals with death and the various forms of bodily disposition, as well as the Catholic liturgical and pastoral practices that accompany the grieving process. It is available as a free download from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops website.