Catholics across southwestern Ontario are being urged to speak out against physician assisted suicide.
A letter from Bishop Ronald Fabbro of The Diocese of London will be distributed at the region's Catholic churches this weekend, asking parishioners to write to their local MP in opposition to the life ending practice.
"As people are dying we should be caring for them not killing them," says Fabbro.
Laws that bar doctors from helping the terminally ill die were struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada last year. The government was given until June 6 to draft new federal legislation on the practice. In the meantime, those seeking physician assisted death must get approval from a provincial court.
Fabbro calls 21 recommendations made by a parliamentary committee for the new legislation appalling.
"They go far beyond what the Supreme Court required and include provisions that would allow minors (those under 18) and those with psychiatric conditions to be eligible," Fabbro states in his letter.
The letter also notes the obligation of publicly funded Catholic hospitals to provide the service, while doctors against the practice would be forced to direct patients to counterparts who don't object. It goes on to say that only 30% of Canadians have access to palliative care.
"All Canadians should have access to palliative care," says Fabbro. "We've been advocating that we should be putting more of our resources into palliative care so that every Canadian has access to it, rather than moving into the area of offering assisted suicide."
A similar letter was distributed to parishioners in Toronto over the Easter weekend and Fabbro expects other Diocese will follow suit.
The Diocese of London covers nine counties in southwestern Ontario.
The letter from Bishop Fabbro can be read here.
