St. Pius X Roman Catholic Parish

On behalf of Rev. James Willick, our new Diocesan Administrator, we would like to share the following statement by the Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in Support of Bill C-218: “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Medical Assistance in Dying).” The CCCB supports Bill C-218, which seeks to stop “MAiD” for mental illness alone, and encourages the Catholic faithful, in communion with their local Bishop, and all people of goodwill, to express their support for the same. We further call on the government to allow free conscience voting on this matter, given its profound moral and social implications. Human life is a gift that must be protected and valued at every stage and in every circumstance. As Canada’s Bishops have consistently affirmed, euthanasia and assisted suicide – whether for the sick, the dying, persons with disabilities, or those with mental illness – are always morally unacceptable. As Christians, our response to persons living with mental illness should be modelled after the powerful witness of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), who, rather than abandoning his neighbour in need, responded personally with charity, compassion, care, and self-sacrifice, acting as a bearer of God’s love and as a sign of hope. For additional details, you may access the media release and CCCB writings on euthanasia and assisted suicide at: https://www.cccb.ca/faith-moral-issues/suffering-and-end-of-life/euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide/.