CCBI News – Growing Demand to Delay Euthanasia for Mental Illness; Hospitals Overwhelmed; The Common Good

December 9, 2022

Dear Friends of CCBI,

Growing Demands for Delaying Euthanasia for Mental Illness

Following last week’s news that Canadian psychiatrists are calling for a delay in allowing euthanasia for mental illness, there has been a flurry of commentaries in the media about the rights and wrongs of this issue, mainly about problems and lack of safeguards. Although people expressing these concerns remain in favour of euthanasia in general, it is encouraging to see that there is mounting recognition of the harm involved as well as resistance to the steady move towards tolerating euthanasia as a solution for social ills. Those of us who recognize that euthanasia and assisted-dying are morally wrong in every circumstance, or in Church terms ‘intrinsically evil,’ see these moves as a ‘slippery slope.’ Once an evil is in place and accepted as practice, other evils will follow.

Canada has moved from allowing euthanasia in specific circumstances to allowing it for non-terminal and non-irremediable illnesses, more recently for people with social burdens, and is in process of consolidating the extension of procedures for mental illness. At the same time, euthanasia advocates are raising the possibility of allowing euthanasia for people with physical handicaps as well as for children with severe illnesses. Our Canadian bishops have spoken out many times about the ‘slippery slope,’ most recently Cardinal Collins at the Cardinal’s Dinner where, in his address to a gathering that included many politicians, he regretted the steady decline of society’s principles regarding respect for life, asking us to consider the question, ‘What have we become?

Last week we quoted the Canadian Psychiatric Association’s concerns about determining whether a patient’s mental illness is actually ‘irremediable,’ and this week several newspapers and TV programs have raised similar concerns. The Globe and Mail posed the question, “Can a person freely choose to die if they don’t have an equal chance to live with dignity?” Grammar aside, The Globe points out that, “Supports for people with chronic mental illnesses are slim on the ground in Canada, especially for those with lower incomes; There is a shortage of supportive housing; treatments and therapies can have waiting lists that extend into years; and many people can’t afford psychotherapy, which isn’t covered by medicare and can be punishingly expensive. The high cost of living isn’t helping, either.” The editorial ended by saying, “We should respect their wish to die with dignity. But we should be ashamed of a country that is failing to help them live the same way.”

The newspaper still obviously condones euthanasia, unfortunately, but not under these conditions. It stated its objections even more clearly a few days later, saying: “As Canada moves inexorably toward allowing people suffering from mental illness to access medical assistance in dying, an uncomfortable truth is becoming apparent: this country is on the verge of providing publicly funded euthanasia for people suffering from diseases for which there is little publicly funded care. This is unconscionable.” (Emphasis added, since this is unusually strong language in the media on this type of topic).

Our friend John R. sent these comments from The Sun, relaying its concerns that former service members who reached out to Veterans Affairs Canada for social and medical assistance over the past three years were counselled on assisted dying. It seems little by way of actual help was given. The Sun asks, “…what will happen if the criteria for MAID is expanded in March, particularly as many veterans with mental and physical injuries continue to have to wait months — and even years — for federal support?” It’s important to remember that the criteria were already approved in March 2021, and the delay in implementing the extension was to show that proper safeguards were in place. Much of the media, as well as psychiatrists, have concluded that safeguards are not in place and have joined those of us who respect life from conception until natural death in pointing out the inherent dangers and unanswered (unanswerable?) questions in proceeding with the extension of euthanasia for mental illnesses.

Although most media and physicians are in favour of euthanasia – we know that – it is hopeful that in this issue many are responding from a factual base (lack of reasonable certainty) and from a conscience base (questioning proceeding when there is doubt about the facts), and we welcome any shift in approach which will help to safeguard the lives of those with mental illnesses even although some are focused on ensuring that conditions for allowing euthanasia have been fulfilled. We pray that they will discover that they may never be able to reach that certainty.

Hospitals Under Siege / Flu Vaccines

Media are also reporting the rise in hospitalizations for both adults and children across the country, causing delays in treatment, immediate and long term. The Globe reports that children’s hospitals have been overwhelmed (as we previously reported) with cases of RSVs, flu and COVID-19 increasing quickly in the population at large. In Ottawa, for example, “CHEO, (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) which has already opened a second pediatric ICU to deal with the extraordinary viral season, has called in a small contingent from the Red Cross to support its clinical teams, beginning this week…” This was done to free vital staff to care for other youngsters in the hospital with serious illnesses. Many other hospitals report overcrowding, lack of beds, long wait times and so on, indicating we are not out of the woods, but seem to think we are in terms of a generic lack of response to what amounts to a crisis for many families. The urgency connected with COVID-19 has lessened, but there are other problems that need our societal cooperation for the sake of the common good.

The Public Health agency of Canada warns of increases in pediatric cases saying: “So far this flu season, there have been 707 hospital admissions related to pediatric influenza, 95 ICU admissions and fewer than five deaths….” The agency suggests that “…families were likely caught off guard by the abnormally early start to influenza season, while others may not have been thinking about a virus that barely circulated during the first two years of the pandemic,” and is recommending vaccination for flu for even young children as well as adults. The combination of this year’s flu, respiratory diseases and COVID-19 forms a serious triple health threat, and the agency is doing its best to promote mass vaccination to help reduce strain on hospital services and keep beds open for others with serious needs. The same recommendations are being made in the United States, where the Washington Post reports that COVID-19 hospitalizations are also on the increase as well as for flu. Reuters reports that flu cases in the United States are also driving up the rate of hospitalization, with one district stating a rise of 74% in hospitalizations for flu in one week! Clearly the situation is more serious than most of us realize and Catholic Social Teaching reminds us of the importance of looking after the common good as well as our individual and family needs.

The Globe and Mail
– Globe editorial: In Canada, people can die with dignity. They should be able to live that way, too – The Globe and Mail
– Globe editorial: Euthanasia without real mental health care is a moral failure. Fund it now – The Globe and Mail
– Children’s hospitals across the country overwhelmed as flu season has ‘exploded’ – The Globe and Mail 

The Toronto Sun
– EDITORIAL: Let’s pause the slide down the slippery slope | Toronto Sun

The Washington Post
– Covid hospitalizations increasing after an autumn lull – The Washington Post

Reuters
– Rising flu cases drive up U.S. hospitalizations, CDC says | Reuters
– New flu hospitalizations spike nearly 74% in one week: 8 FluView notes (beckershospitalreview.com)

Pope Francis’ Intentions for December

Volunteer Not-for-Profit Organizations
We pray that volunteer non-profit organizations committed to human development find people dedicated to the common good and ceaselessly seek out new paths to international cooperation.

Moira and Bambi