QUEBEC CITY, April 30, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The bishops of Quebec have come out in full support of the “Springtime March” organized by the Rassemblement québécois contre l’euthanasie (Quebec Rally Against Euthanasia), a massive citizens’ mobilization against euthanasia to take place May 18 in Quebec City.
Under the theme of “Euthanasia in our province? No Thanks!” the event has been organized to oppose the Quebec government’s intention to open the back door to euthanasia under the misleading name of “medical aid in dying.”
Spearheaded by Bishop Noël Simard, head of the bioethics committee of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops, the Quebec bishops issued a press release inviting Quebecers to “join this public demonstration to say no to euthanasia and assisted suicide, even in the name of ‘medical assistance in dying,’ and to say yes to quality palliative care.”
Bishop Simard said that during the plenary meeting of bishops held in March he spoke of the need to be aware of the Quebec government's intention of implementing legislation allowing assisted suicide and euthanasia.
“This is my main issue now,” he said, adding that, “medical aid in dying is a disguised expression and is primarily for euthanasia.”
The organizers of the Quebec Rally Against Euthanasia said the focus of the “Springtime March” is to call for legislation to ensure that “the security, the dignity and the comfort of all suffering people at the end of life can be assured by universally accessible and high-quality palliative care.”
The March will begin at 12 noon on Saturday, May 18th on the Plains of Abraham, outside of the Musée national des Beaux-Arts (National Fine-Arts Museum). The March itself will begin at 1:45 p.m. and proceed towards parliament along Grande-Allée Street.
Further information on the Springtime March is available on the Quebec Rally Against Euthanasia website.