“Help Not Harm” Campaign
Date posted on March 17, 2026
The Archdiocese of Toronto has launched a national initiative entitled “Help Not Harm” to raise awareness about proposed changes to Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) legislation and to encourage respectful engagement with Members of Parliament.
Current federal legislation is scheduled to expand eligibility for MAiD to individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness beginning March 17, 2027. In response to these developments, a Private Member’s Bill currently before Parliament—Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act—proposes an amendment to the Criminal Code that would prevent this expansion.
Through the Help Not Harm campaign, Catholics and all people of goodwill are invited to learn more about the issue and to respectfully contact their Member of Parliament in support of Bill C-218 through the HelpNotHarmCanada.ca wesbite. The campaign website provides a simple tool that allows individuals to send a message to their MP in just a few minutes. Messages sent through the site are also copied to the Prime Minister and the federal Minister of Justice.
Additional resources and background information about this initiative are available below, including a statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops supporting Bill C-218.
Statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on Bill C-218:
Learn More
Find the Information Sheet here. To learn more about the campaign and to contact your Member of Parliament, visit: HelpNotHarmCanada.ca