Toronto Cardinal urges Parliament to halt expansion of 'assisted dying'

Toronto Cardinal Frank Leo has issued open letters urging Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and Members of Parliament to support legislation that would limit the expansion of assisted suicide and euthanasia, or Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD), in the country.

Key Takeaways:

• C-218 would amend Canada's criminal code to prohibit anyone from qualifying for MAiD based on mental illness alone.

• Cardinal Frank Leo is urging lawmakers to support the bill, which would limit the expansion of MAiD for mental disorders.

• Allowing MAiD for mental illness is slated to take effect in March 2027.

The Details:

In his letters, Leo urged Carney and members of Parliament to support Bill C-218, which would amend Canada's criminal code to prohibit anyone from qualifying for MAiD based on mental illness alone. The legislation aims to halt the expansion of MAiD for mental illness, which is currently slated to take effect in March 2027.

In the letters, Leo reminded the officials that a society “is rightly judged” by the care it offers its most vulnerable, while noting that assisted suicide and euthanasia are "contrary to the dignity of the human person."

“There is growing anxiety that the normalization and expansion of assisted suicide risks undermining a culture of compassion, weakening investments in palliative support, and diminishing the collective commitment to accompany those suffering,” he wrote.

"Our Catholic faith opposes the taking of any life and it is with great disappointment and anguish that we have seen our country expand (MAiD) at a rapid and alarming rate."

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Zoom In:

Leo and the Archdiocese of Toronto have launched an initiative called Help Not Harm, which is rallying support for the passage of C-218. As part of that campaign, people are encouraged to write to their MPs, urging support of the legislation. According to the Catholic Register, around 5,000 letters had been sent by mid-April.

As Live Action News previously reported, there is growing public opposition to the expansion of MAID within Canada, as initial safeguards have been eroded.

Nicole Scheidl, the executive director of Canadian Physicians for Life (CPL), previously said:

"Most psychiatrists across the country are very much against this because someone who has a mental illness and has suicidality in their mental illness, how do you tease apart what’s part of the illness and what is a rational decision? It’s impossible. Whether it’s through the private members’ bill or the government takes it on, I think it’s very important that that expansion be stopped."

The Bottom Line:

Vulnerable people, especially those with mental illness, deserve the best treatment and care possible — not easier access to suicide and euthanasia.