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

Why do people choose Maid?

The reasons people choose MAiD may surprise you. The following statistics are for the people who died by MAiD in Canada in 2022. 53% experienced a loss of dignity. 35% perceived that they were a burden on others. 17% chose MAiD because of loneliness and isolation. 86% felt a loss of ability to engage in meaningful activities.

What do all of these reasons have in common? They could be resolved with care and counseling. Will our healthcare system find the time to spend with each patient to ensure that everything has been done to save a life? Or once the system sees death as a valid therapeutic option, will it put as much energy into finding alternatives?

For more information and reflections on MAiD and it’s impact CLICK HERE