Catholic bishops back effort to restrict assisted suicide in Canada

Canada’s assisted suicide framework is again under scrutiny in Parliament, with Catholic bishops aligning with Conservative lawmakers to push back against what they say are dangerous expansions of the practice.

On Feb. 5, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis introduced a private member’s bill (C-260) aimed at limiting coercion around assisted suicide. The same day, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops voiced support for separate legislation that would bar assisted suicide when mental illness is the only underlying condition.

The bishops endorsed Bill C-218, introduced by Conservative MP Tamara Jansen.

In a statement issued by its permanent council, the bishops said the legislation “would be a constructive step” toward protecting vulnerable Canadians.

The bishops warned that mental illness is “not necessarily irremediable” and argued the proper response is greater access to treatment and palliative care, not increased access to death. They also urged the federal government “to allow free conscience voting on this matter, given its profound moral and social implications.”

Their statement referenced concerns from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has called on Canada to rescind “Track 2 MAID,” permanently excluding mental illness as a qualifying condition.

The proposal from Genuis would amend the Criminal Code to ban most federal and provincial government employees from starting discussions about assisted suicide. The restriction would apply to government officials, other than doctors or nurses, who hold authority over vulnerable people.

Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Genuis said the legislation is a response to reports of people being steered toward assisted suicide while seeking help. He described the practice as “discrimination and coercion” that “undermine the experience of persons trying to access supports that they are entitled to.”

He cited the case of Nicolas Bergeron, a Quebec man with disabilities who experienced a social worker push him toward assisted suicide.

“But a social worker, who came to his house for an entirely different reason, repeatedly tried to push him to change his mind,” Genuis said.

He added that the counselor told Bergeron “that sometimes you just have to stop fighting.”

“This is wrong and this is not a one-off,” Genuis said. “This MAID coercion by nonexperts in positions of authority is part of a troubling pattern.”

Supporters of the restrictions argue assisted suicide is not a genuine choice when people lack housing, disability supports, mental health care or palliative services. They say offering death instead of care reflects systemic pressure, not compassion.

Both measures face uncertain prospects as private member’s bills. However, they embody the growing concern that Canada’s assisted suicide regime prioritizes destroying lives over protecting the vulnerable.