VANCOUVER / OTTAWA — May 12, 2026 — The British Columbia Humanist Association (BCHA), Humanist Canada, and Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC) are calling on the federal government to uphold the state’s duty of religious neutrality in response to renewed efforts by the Catholic Church to influence medical assistance in dying (MAID) policy.
The organizations are responding to a public letter from the Archbishop of Toronto to the Prime Minister, which urged the government to block the planned extension of MAID eligibility to those with a mental illness as their sole underlying condition. This follows a pattern of lobbying from religious institutions seeking to impose theological restrictions on public healthcare.
Decisions regarding MAID eligibility, including for mental health difficulties, should be based on clinical expertise, legal precedents, and the lived experience of patients. When the voices of religious organizations are given equal or greater weight than those of medical professionals and human rights experts, the integrity of our secular democracy is undermined.
The humanist coalition reminds the government that the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Carter v Canada established that the right to a dignified death is a fundamental aspect of liberty and security of the person. Furthermore, the coalition highlights that religious interference is not just a matter of policy debate, but a practical barrier currently preventing patients from accessing care in publicly funded facilities.
“The state has a constitutional duty to remain neutral on matters of religion,” said Ian Bushfield, Executive Director of the BC Humanist Association. “We already see the harm caused when religious hospitals are permitted to unjustifiably deny a patient’s right to access MAID. This is why the BCHA is intervening in the O’Neill case: to defend the principle that public healthcare must be governed by the Charter, not by the vestigial religious dogmas of the institutions providing that care.”
Janalee Morris, Executive Director of Humanist Canada, emphasized the importance of compassion and evidence-based policy. “Access to MAID for those with mental illness is about treating all forms of irremediable suffering with equal dignity. We cannot allow religious lobby groups to re-marginalize patients by suggesting their suffering is less deserving of the full range of legal medical options. Compassion means listening to the patient, not the pulpit.”
The groups also noted that the ongoing delays in expanding MAID eligibility have already caused prolonged distress for many Canadians, exacerbated by the “institutional conscientious objection” practiced by denominational facilities.
“The Supreme Court was clear: The choice of how to end one’s life belongs to the individual,” said Edan Tasca, President of the Centre for Inquiry Canada. “By entertaining these religiously motivated appeals, the government risks undermining the secular foundation of our healthcare system. We call on the government to prioritize the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms over the pressure of religious institutions that continue to obstruct lawful medical care.”
BCHA, Humanist Canada, and CFIC remain committed to ensuring that healthcare decisions remain a matter between patients and their medical providers, free from the shadow of religious interference.
About the Organizations:
The BC Humanist Association, Humanist Canada, and Centre for Inquiry Canada work to ensure the separation of religion and state, defend the rights of the non-religious, and promote the application of reason and evidence in public policy.