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

Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Catholic Health Care Perspectives

An upcoming webinar titled: Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada Health Care Perspectives is being broadcast on September 21, 2017 from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm ET.

This 90 minute webinar provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about these important matters:

What Does Medical Assistance in Dying (AKA Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide) look like in Canada?
What does it mean for the Catholic Health Care community?

Registration cost is $20.00 until September 1, then $30.00

Led by Dr. Christopher De Bono, PhD, MDiv, this workshop will provide the critical historical context on MAiD and will focus primarily on the tensions as well as opportunities that MAiD represents in both acute and residential care settings. Clinical, ethical and pastoral theological lenses will be brought to bear on the phenomenon.

Dr. De Bono is currently the Vice President of Mission, Ethics and Spirituality for Providence Health Care in Vancouver, BC. He is a Roman Catholic pastoral/practical theologian with specialized clinical training in Spiritual Care and a post doc in Clinical/Organizational ethics.

For more information and to register please click here.