Canadian Catholic Bishops Blast tenth Anniversary of MAID
Canadian Catholic bishops have sharply condemned the nation’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program on the eve of its 10th anniversary.
They are declaring the practice gravely contrary to human dignity and calling on Catholics and people of goodwill to oppose it.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released the statement rejecting complacency with the status quo of euthanasia in Canada. The bishops said the faithful are called “to draw near to those who suffer: not to ignore, trivialize, or abandon them in their pain or despair, but to accompany them with compassion, practical care, and hope.”
Medical Assistance in Dying, or MAID, was legalized in Canada a decade ago.
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The original 2016 law limited eligibility to individuals whose death was “reasonably foreseeable.” A 2021 expansion broadened access to those with “grievous and irremediable” conditions even when death is not reasonably foreseeable.
The much-abused and frequently-maligned program now accounts for more than 5 percent of all deaths in Canada.
In 2024, 16,499 people died by euthanasia or assisted suicide, bringing the total to an estimated 100,000 Canadians since legalization.
The bishops described MAID as “the world’s largest and fastest-growing euthanasia program.”
The bishops stated that euthanasia and assisted suicide are “gravely contrary” to human dignity and “can never be morally acceptable.” They affirmed support for palliative and hospice care that “accompanies those who suffer” instead of ending life.
“We actively seek opportunities for effective, collaborative strategies to provide concrete and compassionate support to those living with serious physical or mental illness, those with disabilities, and those nearing the end of life, as well as their families and caregivers,” the bishops said.
The statement urged opposition to the practice, prayer for the conversion of its supporters, and concrete support for the sick and vulnerable. The bishops expressed hope that the Church in Canada will remain “a place where people, especially the sick, elderly, disabled, suffering, and dying, are received with love, accompanied with compassion, and reminded that their life remains precious in the eyes of God.”
The bishops’ denunciation came amid Pope Leo XIV’s recent remarks to Spanish legislators condemning assisted suicide and the “throwaway culture” that discards the unborn, the elderly, the sick, and those dependent on others’ care.
