Statement by the Assembly of Québec Catholic Bishops on the report of the Select Committee on Dying with Dignity

Friday, March 30, 2012

The Assembly of Québec Catholic Bishops has released a communiqué following the publication on March 22, 2012, of the Report of the Select Committee on Dying with Dignity of the National Assembly of Quebec. The Committee was established by the elected members of the Quebec National Assembly on December 4, 2009, “for the purpose of examining the issue of dying with dignity”.

The communiqué from the Bishops of Quebec states: “While we are happy to note that the members of the Commission recommend greater access to palliative care for everyone, we dissociate ourselves from the recommendations that propose changing legislation ‘in order to recognize medical assistance for dying as appropriate end-of-life care’ Changing the expressions ‘assisted suicide and euthanasia’ to ‘medical assistance for dying’ does not change reality. The Assembly of Québec Catholic Bishops continues to give profound thought to this matter, and will consider pertinent means to be used for intervening so the government considers the requirements for respecting life which were forcefully made at every stage in the Commission’s work. The moral and ethical consequences are numerous.”

Link to the communiqué (in French only)