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Most Rev. William McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary and past president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Photo courtesty Diocese of Calgary
April 1, 2026
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The Alberta government’s new Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, has received a seal of approval from the province’s Catholic bishops.
In a new pastoral letter to the faithful issued on March 25, Alberta's bishops jointly expressed “hope that this proposed legislation will contribute important measures to protect those who are vulnerable in our province.”
Key provisions contained in Bill 18 include the prohibition of euthanasia for minors and individuals solely living with mental illness, an embargo on advanced requests, the re-introduction of the natural foreseeable death criterion and a commitment to respect the conscience rights of faith-driven practitioners and establishments.
The bishops said “a just society is one that protects the vulnerable, upholds the dignity of every person and chooses to accompany them in times of illness and dying. The Alberta government is taking some significant steps that respect these necessary values.”
At the heart of their reflection is a call to recognize the dignity of each person from conception to natural death, quoting Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” — and John 10:10 — “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
“This affirmation of life does not require that one use every medical means possible to preserve life, especially if the treatment is without benefit or may be burdensome to the one who suffers. In Catholic teaching, it is possible to forgo such treatment and to allow natural death to occur. The withdrawal or withholding of medical treatment is from a moral perspective not the same as willfully intending and causing the death of another person.”
The letter also cites the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s letter Samaritan us bonus, which teaches that “euthanasia and assisted suicide are always the wrong choice.”
Edmonton Archbishop Stephen Hero, Calgary Bishop William McGrattan, Grouard-McLennan Archbishop Charles Duval, St. Paul Bishop Gary Franken and Edmonton Ukrainian Eparchy Bishop David Motiuk concluded their letter by urging culture of life supporters to encourage their MLA to support the bill.
While the winds of reformation are evidently at work in Alberta, the senators and MPs serving on the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying met on March 24. They commenced their work to scrutinize the scheduled March 17, 2027, expansion of MAiD to individuals with a mental illness as their sole underlying condition. These committee discussions will continue to unfold after the Easter recess.
The first week following the break, April 13-17, is shaping up to be a significant five days for opponents of the Canadian assisted suicide regime.
From noon to 1 p.m. local time on April 13, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) will host a rally on Parliament Hill in support of Bill C-218. This private member’s legislation from Conservative MP Tamara Jansen, which would halt the expansion of MAiD for mental illness, is scheduled to receive its second hour of debate in the House of Commons that day. Second reading is expected later that week.
Read the Catholic Bishops of Alberta’s letter at caedm.ca.
(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)
A version of this story appeared in the April 05, 2026, issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Alberta MAiD law draws bishops' approval".
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