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I have been thinking about death and dying, and while doing so, I came across this short but interesting article on assisted dying, written by Father Deacon Andrew Bennett. He writes:

For 18 months, Canadian governments have legally permitted assisted suicide on demand for patients suffering terminal illness whose condition is “grievous and irremediable.” It’s considered a choice people now have available to them.

For Catholics, Orthodox Jews, and many others from different faith traditions, however, it is not a choice they could ever choose. Why? Because it is a fundamental violation of their understanding of the human person.

Choice is a great byword of today’s culture. To be pro-choice is to be “enlightened” because you are respecting the individual’s right to autonomy, to determine individual destiny.

Many in our society accept that this applies to women who choose to end pregnancy through abortion, or to young people who choose to self-select their gender.

Then why does the power of choice not extend to Canadians who want to choose not to make such choices? Why can they not choose faith-consistent healthcare that rejects abortion, euthanasia, and the fluidity of gender, and instead offers care that recognizes what true dignity and true compassion is: suffering with the human person whose dignity comes from within and is not subject to external propriety?

The rest of this article is available by clicking HERE.