Vancouver Archbishop Richard Smith’s January 8 letter to parishioners urging support for a bill to protect those with mental illness from medical assistance in dying.

I am compelled by faith, conscience, and pastoral responsibility to address a grave moral concern in our society: the existence and continuing expansion of legalized euthanasia (MAiD). I urge the support of Bill C-218, which seeks to prohibit medically assisted dying where mental illness is the sole underlying condition. The Catholic Church condemns all forms of euthanasia and assisted suicide and is thus supportive of measures to curtail expansion of access to these practices. 

At the very core of our faith is the belief that every human life possesses intrinsic dignity and immeasurable worth, regardless of circumstance or suffering. Mental illness, though often invisible and deeply painful, does not, in any way, diminish the value of a person’s life. To allow assisted dying for mental illness sends a tragic message—that some lives, marked by psychological distress, are less worth living or protecting. We must instead reaffirm that all lives are precious, deserving of care, support, and hope.

Individuals suffering from mental illness are among the most vulnerable in our society. Mental health conditions can cloud judgment, deepen despair, and make hope seem out of reach. Legalizing assisted dying places undue pressure on those already struggling and could lead to irreversible decisions made during periods of acute crisis. Our laws must be a shield for the vulnerable, not an avenue to hasten their end.

Compassion calls us to accompany those who suffer, to provide mental health care, and to invest in therapies, community support, and spiritual comfort. Rather than facilitating death, our collective energy must be directed toward improving access to treatment and reducing the stigma of mental illness. Supporting Bill C-218 is a commitment to a society that chooses life, healing, and hope over despair.

As a nation, we must consider the broader implications of our laws. Permitting assisted dying for mental illness normalizes suicide and undermines ongoing suicide prevention efforts. It challenges the ethical foundations upon which our health care and social policies rest and imposes loss, grief, and other unintended consequences on families, caregivers, and communities.

For these reasons, I urge all the faithful, policymakers, and people of goodwill to support Bill C-218. As the Jubilee Year of Hope comes to a close, let us together commit to being champions of hope for those struggling to find it.  Let us stand together in upholding the sanctity of life, protecting the vulnerable, and committing ourselves to compassionate care for those who suffer from mental illness.

May Saint Joseph, our nation’s patron and protector of our Lord in his most vulnerable days, intercede for us….

Summary of Matthew Harvey Sanders’ presentation to the Diocese of Calgary’s October 2025 symposium on Catholic responses to AI. 

Intelligence is not a neutral tool; it is an environment that shapes our understanding of what it means to be human. As such, the philosophy underpinning its development is of paramount importance. 

My presentation argues that the Church must be a bold protagonist in this new age, not merely critiquing from the sidelines but actively building a technology ordered towards the true flourishing of humanity and the greater glory of God. This is the mission of "Catholic AI". This presentation defined "Catholic AI" not by its underlying code, but by its foundational creed. 

Unlike the dominant secular AI, which is built on utilitarianism and materialism, Catholic AI proceeds from a different starting point: the unshakeable foundation of Catholic anthropology. It begins not by asking "What can technology do?" but "Who is the human person?" It recognizes that every person is an imago Dei, a being of infinite dignity with a transcendent destiny. 

Therefore, the purpose of Catholic AI is fundamentally different. Its goal is to augment human intellect, not replace it; to facilitate human relationships, not automate them; and to guide us toward the sacramental life of the Church, not distract us from the real world. 

At my company, Longbeard, we are actively building this vision through projects like the Alexandria Digitization Hub, which preserves the Church's priceless intellectual heritage, and platforms like Vulgate AI and Magisterium AI. These tools are designed to unlock the Church’s 2,000- year-old intellectual patrimony and provide clear, faithful answers to the world’s deepest questions, always pointing users back to the primary sources of the faith.