Orthodox Priest Urges Canada to Strengthen Care Instead of Expanding Assisted Suicide

Fr. Paul Tadros. Photo: St. Silouan the Athonite Orthodox Church/Facebook

TORONTO — An Orthodox priest has issued an open letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office on the Sunday of the Myrrh Bearers, urging the government to limit the expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) to individuals suffering from mental illness. Fr. Paul Tadros of St. Silouan the Athonite Orthodox Church expressed “grave concerns” about the proposed policy change.

Canada first legalized MAiD in 2016 for terminal illness and expanded it in 2021 to include non-terminal cases, with the mental-illness provision delayed multiple times. The new expansion will include individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness, by March 17, 2027. 

In his letter, Fr. Paul draws on the parish’s seven-year experience with the Noble Joseph House ministry in Regent Park, where thousands of meals and medical services have been provided to vulnerable individuals. He argues that people with mental illness may experience impaired judgment influenced by factors such as loneliness, poverty, addiction, and trauma, and that the desire to die can itself be a symptom of illness. He urges the government to strengthen healthcare, housing, and social services, stating that a compassionate society is defined by care for those who suffer rather than the facilitation of death.

"We urge your government to reconsider this expansion and instead direct its efforts toward strengthening the systems of care that uphold the dignity and wellbeing of vulnerable Canadians," Fr. Paul concludes.

The full letter can be read below.

Source: St. Silouan the Athonite Orthodox Church

Previously, the UOJ reported that a U.S. health official criticized Canada’s assisted suicide–organ donation link.

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