Catholic Priest Offered State-Sanctioned Euthanasia Twice During Hospital Stay
A 79-year-old Catholic priest recovering from a hip fracture was offered euthanasia twice by hospital staff who knew of his religious convictions, highlighting systemic concerns over Canada's expanding death-assistance program.
Father Larry Holland lay in a Vancouver hospital bed recovering from a broken hip when a doctor told him about euthanasia. The 79-year-old Catholic priest had fractured his hip on Christmas Day, and weeks into his stay at Vancouver General Hospital, healthcare staff pitched state-sanctioned death to him twice. They knew he was a priest. They knew he opposed the practice on moral grounds.
The first offer came from a physician who said Medical Assistance in Dying was "something they have to discuss with someone who's been given a terminal diagnosis." Holland was not terminally ill. Weeks later, a nurse brought it up again, what Holland described as "false compassion" for his pain.
"I think I was very shocked," Holland told the B.C. Catholic. "It is such a sensitive subject."
Holland's experience reflects a broader pattern. Vancouver Coastal Health, which operates the hospital, confirmed that staff "may consider bringing up MAiD based on their clinical judgment." The Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers explicitly instructs doctors to initiate these conversations. Their guidance document states physicians "have a professional obligation to initiate a discussion about MAiD if a patient might be eligible."
Father Larry Lynn, the Archdiocese of Vancouver's pro-life chaplain, called the targeting of a priest "among the most appalling examples of Canada's coercive and insensitive euthanasia regime." He said the system "places the medical practitioner into the role of the devil, tempting a vulnerable person into mortal sin."
Similar cases have emerged across the country. At the same Vancouver hospital in 2025, 84-year-old Miriam Lancaster was offered MAiD before any diagnostic work for a minor back injury. She recovered after three weeks of rest. An Ontario Chief Coroner's report documented the case of "Mrs. B," a woman in her 80s euthanized after withdrawing her request when hospice care was denied. Her husband submitted a new MAiD request during caregiver burnout, and she was killed the same day.
The scale of the program continues to grow. Health Canada reports 76,475 cumulative assisted deaths since the program launched in 2016, with 16,499 occurring in 2024 alone. Non-terminal Track 2 deaths surged 17 percent in 2024. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition projects Canada will surpass 100,000 total assisted deaths this spring.
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis introduced Bill C-260 to prohibit federal employees from proactively offering MAiD to citizens not requesting it. "This bill seeks to address the existing gap in Canada's MAiD law by prohibiting a government bureaucrat in a position of authority from proposing MAiD to a citizen who is not asking for it," Genuis stated. The legislation arose from incidents where veterans counsellors steered vulnerable individuals toward euthanasia.
Alberta introduced Bill 18 in March to ban Track 2 MAiD and restrict health professionals from initiating discussions. Premier Danielle Smith stated the federal expansion for mental illness "puts the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals at far too grave a risk." Her government has not ruled out using the notwithstanding clause if challenged.
Religious leaders have joined the opposition. Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney and all Toronto-area MPs on April 20, urging them to vote against MAiD expansion. "Assisted suicide and euthanasia are contrary to the dignity of the human person," Leo wrote. He launched the nationwide "Help Not Harm" campaign, which has generated approximately 5,000 letters opposing the program's growth.
Medical professionals have raised alarms as well. Psychiatrist Dr. John Maher testified before a parliamentary committee that he has seen patients with mental illness offered state-sanctioned death in violation of current law. "I had a patient with schizophrenia who was approved for MAiD on the basis of a skin condition that a dermatologist said could be treated with a cream," Maher stated. He called such cases "criminal misconduct."
When the state controls healthcare, it increasingly controls both life and death. Holland's experience illustrates a system that views human existence through the lens of bureaucratic efficiency rather than inherent dignity — a transformation from voluntary end-of-life safeguard to an administrative apparatus that erases religious conviction.