The Archbishop of Montreal and the Archbishop of Quebec are united in their opposition to a decision by Catholic leaders in western Canada to ban funerals for people who opt for legally assisted dying.
Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine tells the Journal de Montreal that while he supports palliative care for the dying the Church in Quebec will not refuse a church funeral for people who choose to end their lives.
Lépine says funerals are a place to pray for the dead and say farewell, not make value judgements.
The Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories issued a statement this week saying physician-assisted death is a "grave sin" that contradicts the teachings of the Catholic Church.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has not issued guidelines on funerals for people who choose assisted dying but says it is studying the issue.