Fighting MAID - Priests must speak out against euthanasia

With a little help from AI: which countries perform the most euthanasia per capita?

• The jurisdictions with the highest rates of euthanasia or physician-assisted dying (MAID) per capita are Canada and the Netherlands. Specifically, the Canadian province of Quebec reports the highest regional rate globally. 
  As a percentage of total deaths:
  • Quebec, Canada: Accounted for 6.8% of total deaths in a recent reporting period (April 2022-March 2023). In 2023, MAID accounted for 4.7% of all deaths across Canada.
  • Netherlands: Euthanasia and assisted suicide cases make up approximately 4.8% to over 5% of all deaths.
  • Belgium: The rate is around 2.3% of all deaths.
  • Switzerland: Assisted suicide accounts for approximately 1.5% to 2.3% of all deaths. 

From Priests for Life recent newsletter on what we Catholics and clergy need to do to counter the euthanasia lobby:

The euthanasia forces have a very clear program. Make killing not just available but make it socially acceptable, seen as a natural alternative and morally obligatory. Once a decision is made, it must not be discussed, but just accepted and lauded. 

...

I would challenge anyone reading this newsletter to realize that we must embark on several things at the same time, difficult though they may be. Firstly, our people are being educated by their front pages and newsfeeds. They are being bombarded by the pro-euthanasia campaign. We also need an engaging campaign teaching why suicide and being killed by physicians is wrong. This must be a sustained campaign - not just for one week or year. It must reach Catholics and non-practicing Catholics. 

Secondly, we must be very clear about fighting for the conscience rights of family members who are responsible for those who are weak and vulnerable. The conscience rights of our health care workers, the social necessity of protecting the weak and the vulnerable must be protected.

Thirdly, these are life and death situations. We need to educate our own priests and deacons to be leaders in this area and to militate for their own legal protections. The pro-death campaign is well on its way in our hospitals, hospices, and nursing homes. Is the pro-life campaign really up to responding? 

Fr. Tom Lynch (PFLC National President) 

Dying with Dignity obsessively lobbies the government. They receive millions in donations every year, yet they have the nerve to get funding from the Canada Summer jobs program, a program that pro-life organizations are ineligible to receive. 

All of us, clergy included, need to speak out publicly against Canada's evil euthanasia regime.