Canadian archbishop sounds euthanasia warning for NZ

Speaking in the latest episode of the Catholic Kiwi Podcast, Vancouver Archbishop Richard Smith told host James Bergin that the issue has broadened from a narrow Supreme Court decision in Canada in 2015 to current discussions about making euthanasia accessible to those whose sole underlying condition involves mental health.

Archbishop Smith, who was in New Zealand recently for an international conference, lamented the growing pressure on Catholic healthcare facilities in Canada amid the remorseless march of euthanasia and assisted suicide, which “just troubles me deeply”.

“It’s almost the wild west now in Canada, . . . so we have to keep pushing back against that,” he said.

“I mean, it’s just a horror show, a horror show. And I say that wherever I go. . . .  Just get ready for it. This is an extraordinary juggernaut that just keeps getting traction. I don’t get that, I don’t understand why, but it’s there, and so just be ready and be ready to push back and continue to witness to the beauty of life at every stage and in every circumstance.”

In the podcast, Archbishop Smith spoke about his ministry leading different dioceses, the challenges of living in an increasingly secular society, Church renewal, his Catholic upbringing, his call to priesthood and serving as the general coordinator for Pope Francis’ historic visit to Canada in July 2022. He also discussed his work as a member of the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council and as chair of the Canadian Bishops Ad Hoc Committee on Indigenous Issues.

One of his first ministries as a priest was working as a chaplain with the Deaf. He was attracted to Deaf Ministry during his seminary years and learned sign language.

“I really grew to love the people,” he said. “In terms of the lessons that I’ve learned from that, is how they teach us about the importance, the place of silence.

“Our world, more and more, is one of babble, of noise and of distractions. And so that experience really was an encouragement to me, and I try to encourage others in turn.

“Look for time [and] spaces when you can create that silent place. . . . [Be] silent within to listen and to listen profoundly above all to the Word of God, because there’s so many, so many messages out there that try to distract us away from it.”

Archbishop Smith also discussed his time as a teacher of theology, and of his attraction to the Church’s doctrine on grace – “particularly what it teaches us about our utter need for God”.

“What we can offer is weakness, what we can offer is mistakes, what we can offer is our limits. All that is good, all comes from God,” he said.

“. . . That fundamental call through the doctrine of grace [is] to rely fully on the Lord, and just to trust in his love and let his gifts take over and carry me, carry the Church forward.”

FULL STORY

Catholic Kiwi Podcast: Season 2, Episode 6 – Archbishop Richard Smith (YouTube)