Richard W. Smith: After ten years of euthanasia, Canada needs a message of hope

We must continue to find ways to provide true compassion, care and love to those who are suffering

Three years ago, Kathrin Mentler — a woman in her thirties — went to a Vancouver hospital to seek help for depression and suicidal thoughts. There she was told by a clinician that our health-care system is “broken” and the wait to see a psychiatrist would be long. The clinician asked if she had ever considered euthanasia, as it would be more “comfortable” than suicide by overdose.

Such an outcome was, it turns out, a concern that led Ms. Mentler to visit the hospital that day. As she put it, “I very specifically went there that day because I didn’t want to get into a situation where I would think about taking an overdose of medication.” Ms. Mentler went to hospital to avoid death, only to have death mentioned as something to consider.

This is only one of the many disturbing stories about euthanasia in Canada. This year marks ten years since euthanasia came to this country. At least 76,475 Canadians have died as a result, while some estimates suggest the total has already surpassed 100,000 .

Euthanasia started here in 2016 only for those nearing death. A few years later, it was expanded to individuals who were not dying, and whose disability or illness would not cause their death. In 2023, a parliamentary committee recommended allowing euthanasia for minors, and for those who wish to request euthanasia in advance of losing their mental capacity.

Due to stories like that of Kathrin Mentler, we are awakening to the unsettling realities of euthanasia. In June, a parliamentary committee called on the federal government to cancel the forthcoming legalization of euthanasia for mental illness. This form of euthanasia is currently scheduled to become legal in March 2027.

I hope this call represents a turning point. I hope we are, as a society, rediscovering the truth that every person is precious, equally valuable to all other persons, and possesses an inherent worth and dignity that can never be lost. These are fundamental beliefs of the church to which I belong, but these beliefs are also universal truths that sit at the bedrock of any civilized society.

Every human being has a dignity — a priceless worth — that can never be erased. No matter how dire our circumstances may be, this dignity never fades. As human beings, we are not perishable goods that go bad.

We are not items with a shelf life. We are not burdens on society. We are not problems to be solved.

It is heartbreaking to read the stories of individuals who have contemplated or sought euthanasia because of a perceived loss of dignity, or due to disability, vulnerability, isolation or adversity. Canadians living with disabilities have been disproportionately affected by euthanasia. Offering euthanasia to Canadians living with disabilities instead of providing them with the support they need puts their lives at risk and discriminates against them.

It tells these Canadians they are less valuable than others and that between living with a disability and not being alive, the latter might be better. These lies must be confronted. Lives are at stake.

As for the notion that euthanasia respects autonomy, freedom of choice is often an illusion with euthanasia. When nearly 50 per cent of individuals who seek euthanasia say they perceive themselves as a burden on their families, friends, or caregivers, autonomy is far out of view. The same is true when individuals cite isolation or loneliness as a reason for seeking euthanasia.

Euthanasia invites us to endorse a flawed understanding of autonomy that rests upon harmful messages about our worth and value. Euthanasia suggests we can cease to matter and encourages us to view ourselves and each other based on whether our “best before” date has passed. The legalization of euthanasia imprints these messages in our hearts and minds, often by misguided appeals to compassion, care and love.

Compassion, care and love never translate into terminating a person’s life. These concepts are incompatible with killing. The compassionate, caring and loving response to a person who is suffering is to provide every possible assistance to ease suffering and seek healing.

Euthanasia does not cure illness or provide care; it ends the person. Everyone deserves a dignified death, and to die with dignity is not to hasten death through lethal injection but to be accompanied, comforted and supported until the very last moment of our natural lives. Expressing concern about the availability of euthanasia is not tantamount to being indifferent to suffering or requiring people to simply accept suffering in its strongest form.

Authentic health care alleviates suffering while affirming the inherent worth and dignity of human life. We must continue to find ways to provide true compassion, care and love to those who are suffering. During a recent trip to Spain, Pope Leo challenged Spanish lawmakers on matters of life and death.

He questioned whether a society that “casts into the shadows” its most vulnerable members can ever be a “fully just” society. The Pope declared that the “moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile.” I want to speak directly to anyone who needs to hear this message right now: You matter today.

You matter always. You are worthy of love. Your suffering does not take away your dignity.

You are and always will be a gift of immeasurable worth. Please do not give up, for there is always hope. The choice that a society makes about euthanasia speaks volumes about the society itself.

On that much, we can all agree. I believe that affirming life — not ending it — always renders a society more loving, compassionate and caring. Euthanasia, by denying life, has done great damage to Canada.

We have cast many of our fellow Canadians into the shadows by telling them they are suitable candidates for death. This is a national tragedy, but we must not lose hope. Canada should not have embarked upon this dangerous road ten years ago, but it is never too late to turn around.

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