Since becoming legal in June of 2016, at least over 744 assisted deaths* have been carried out in Canada despite the continued vocalized concern from doctors and medical practitioners regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide.

MaterCare Australia’s Dr. Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, who passed away in 2014, gave a poignant and thoughtful presentation in 2012 while continuing his decades long battle with a chronic auto-immune disease.  That presentation is available here.*

In response to the growing legal challenges to conscience rights and protection for medical professionals, MaterCare International themed our 2015 international conference “Maternal Health Care with a Catholic Conscience” with a focus on the discrimination befalling practicing Catholic Obstetricians, Gynaecologists and Midwives as well as the training of medical students and future specialists. We continue to uphold the memory of Dr. Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, and maintain our commitment to ethical integrity, faithful medical practice, and working in the service of all human life.

As Dr. Tonti-Filippini stated, “Facing illness and disability takes courage and we do not need those euthanasia advocates to tell us that we are so lacking dignity and have such a poor quality of life that our lives are not worth living.”*

Sources:

1. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/at-least-744-assisted-deaths-in-canada-since-law-passed-ctv-news-analysis-1.3220382?autoPlay=true

2. https://www.xt3.com/wyd2013/library/view.php?id=11857&categoryId=9

Human rights champion Dr Nicholas Tonti-Filippini dies    

3. http://catholicleader.com.au/news/human-rights-champion-dr-nicholas-tonti-filippini-dies