Toronto Archdiocese launches first Palliative Care Day Oct. 26 to promote compassion, prayer for dying amid rising euthanasia in Canada.
Newsroom (28/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) The Archdiocese of Toronto marked its inaugural Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care on Sunday, Oct. 26, a new observance aimed at fostering prayer, reflection and support for those suffering and nearing the end of life.
In a pastoral letter released Oct. 23, Cardinal Thomas Collins’ successor, Cardinal Frank Leo, described the initiative as a response to “deep pastoral concern” for the sick and dying. He urged parishes across the archdiocese — which serves more than 2 million Catholics — to use the day to cultivate compassion and counter cultural pressures favoring euthanasia.
“This new observance… will inspire every parish community to pray, reflect, and act with renewed compassion toward those in need of comfort, dignity, and accompaniment in their final journey,” Leo wrote.
The last Sunday in October was selected deliberately, falling just before November, the month traditionally dedicated to praying for the deceased. The timing, Leo explained, links earthly suffering with Christian hope in eternal life.
Cultural Shift and Legal Realities
Leo lamented a societal tendency to view suffering as “something to be eliminated rather than embraced with love.” He pointed to Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, legalized in 2016 and expanded in 2021, which allows adults 18 and older with a “grievous and irremediable medical condition” to request euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Official data show MAID deaths have surged, rising from 1,018 in 2016 to 13,241 in 2022 — a more than 1,200% increase, according to Health Canada’s annual report.
Against this backdrop, Leo stressed the Church’s duty to affirm that “life retains its dignity even amid illness, pain, and decline.” He positioned palliative care — which focuses on relieving suffering through medical, emotional and spiritual support without hastening death — as a compassionate alternative.
Yet access remains limited: only about 30% of Canadians can obtain palliative care services, per a 2018 Canadian Institute for Health Information study.
Grassroots Response Over Legislation
Leo argued that widespread access to quality palliative care, combined with community support and an understanding of “redemptive suffering,” could reduce demand for MAID.
“We know that if those who are sick and dying are surrounded by loving care… fewer would seek euthanasia and assisted suicide as a solution to their pain, guilt or loneliness,” he wrote.
Rather than prioritizing legislative battles, Leo advocated “kitchen table conversations” and parish-led initiatives to address end-of-life fears. He called on families to confront tough questions: “What do I do when someone I love is dying and suffering horrific pain?”
Archdiocesan Support Network
The cardinal pledged archdiocesan resources to assist parishes, emphasizing that neither the dying nor their caregivers are isolated.
“The larger archdiocesan family is here to help,” he wrote. “I am committed to ensuring that help and support, care and comfort reach those who are most vulnerable.”
Leo also sought to dispel “myths” about Catholic teaching on end-of-life issues, urging the faithful to embody the parable of the Good Samaritan by offering Christ-like compassion in moments of greatest vulnerability.
Sunday’s observance will include special prayers at Masses across the archdiocese’s 225 parishes. Parishioners are encouraged to reflect on palliative care resources and commit to accompanying the sick and dying.
“Our first Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care represents a concrete step in integrating the Church’s pastoral mission with the urgent medical, ethical, and spiritual challenges associated with end-of-life care,” Leo concluded.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Aleteia
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