Paul Tuns:
Toronto Cardinal Francis Leo called out the Trudeau government for “normalizing euthanasia” as he condemned the Health Department’s consultation to expand euthanasia through advance directives.
In the Feb. 21 letter to Health Minister Mark Holland, the Cardinal stated, “Your government is normalizing euthanasia – by extension, those experiencing loneliness, isolation and depression associated with their medical condition are increasingly vulnerable to choosing euthanasia.” He added, “This is not something our country should be proud of” as “We should be judged by the care, love and dignity afforded to those who are most vulnerable, especially in moments of despair and suffering. Hastening death is not a breakthrough in healthcare.”
He noted that in 2023, the most recent year for which there are full statistics, 15,343 Canadians died from euthanasia, or about one in 20 deaths nationwide. He also pointed out that there was nearly a 16 per cent increase from the prior year.
Cardinal Leo took issue with the wording of the online survey the government used as it solicited the views from grassroots Canadians to determine whether it should allow patients who are not terminally ill to indicate their desire to be killed through Medical Assistance in Dying if they become incompetent to make the request as their illness progresses. Cardinal Leo said, “the wording and overall approach of the survey pre-supposes that those responding support euthanasia” and this is a problem because “We know this is simply not true.” He pointed out that many experts have expressed grave reservations about the “rapid expansion” of euthanasia. He pointed out that people in the disability community, medical profession, organized religion, and pro-life movement do not accept the legitimacy of euthanasia and the wording makes it difficult for those stakeholders to fully and honestly express their concerns.
“Future consultation should also take into account all views on end-of-life care,” he wrote.
Cardinal Leo called the push for advanced directives “disturbing” because “We are encouraging those who have not yet been diagnosed to ‘schedule’ their death based on the fear of what may come.” He added, “Others may be pressured, even by those in the medical profession, seeing themselves as a burden to their family or caregivers.”
He called on the federal government to halt any planned expansion of euthanasia and instead put resources in to palliative care. “The federal government prioritize palliative care over euthanasia,” Cardinal Leo wrote, “recognizing the need for quality palliative care to be accessible and available to every Canadian.”
