by Javier Villamor, The European Conservative
The new liturgy provides prayers, anointing, Holy Communion, and blessings before and after euthanasia.
The Anglican Church of Canada has taken a step that, until just a few years ago, would have been difficult to imagine even within the most progressive Christian denominations.
Its General Synod has authorized for “trial use” a specific liturgy intended to accompany people who have chosen euthanasia, known in Canada as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). The document includes prayers to be read immediately before the fatal drugs are administered, as well as prayers after the patient’s death.
The 66-page text goes far beyond offering pastoral guidance for terminally ill patients. It establishes a complete set of religious rites adapted to the moments before and after euthanasia: confession, the laying on of hands, anointing with oil, Holy Communion, blessings, and specific prayers for those who have chosen to end their lives through medical intervention.
The introduction acknowledges that many Anglicans believe euthanasia “may indeed be against God’s wishes for humanity.” Yet rather than attempting to resolve that theological question, the stated purpose of the resource is to provide spiritual accompaniment to those who have made that decision.
The document repeatedly insists that it is not intended to bless the decision to seek euthanasia. Nevertheless, critics are likely to question whether surrounding an assisted death with Scripture, blessings, sacraments, and an official Church liturgy inevitably lends it moral legitimacy.
One of the most striking passages states that people who choose euthanasia “may indeed be ready to go” and that they wish to “die well, and with the grace and blessing of God and with the presence of the Church at their side.”
The ceremony includes a period of silence immediately before the medical procedure. The patient may then pray: “Father, I place myself in your hands. Holy God, I believe in you. I trust you. I love you.”
Following the administration of euthanasia, the liturgy provides prayers traditionally associated with the Christian accompaniment of the dying. Among them is the petition: “Welcome them now into paradise where there will be no more sorrow, no more weeping or pain, but only peace and joy.”
Another prayer states that the deceased has been “freed from all its cares” and asks God to grant them “happiness and peace forever.”