Alberta's Catholic bishops have joined forces against the "morally wrong" practice of physician-assisted suicide, laws against which have been struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada.

In a strongly worded statement released Thursday, the bishops demand some health facilities be free to prohibit such a procedure they believe is dangerous to frail seniors and people with disabilities or mental illnesses.

Albertans have “a natural right to be served by doctors and institutions that practise only medicine and are not involved in state-sponsored killing,” said the statement signed by six bishops, including Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith and Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary.

“They must not be deprived of access to such just because there are other citizens who desire assistance in committing suicide.”

The statement is likely to have a direct impact on Covenant Health, the Catholic organization that operates continuing-care facilities and nine hospitals across Alberta, including Edmonton’s Misericordia and Grey Nuns. Smith is a member of Covenant’s board of directors.

Physician-assisted death has been a contentious topic in Canada over the past year since the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a century-old law banning assisted suicide. The court recently gave the federal government until June to pass new legislation.

The medical community has been wrestling with tough questions around how the service should be offered, patient eligibility, and the role of doctors. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta recently issued an advice document to its members, including a suggested process to follow.

However, the bishops’ statement indicates they see little grey area in the issue. The statement bans Catholics from advocating or participating in the “intentional killing of another human being” in any form.

As well, the bishops demand the “conscience rights” of doctors be protected. This means physicians must not only be free to refuse to assist a patient’s death, but must also be allowed to refuse referring the patient to a more agreeable doctor, they said.

Such a referral constitutes “complicity,” the statement reads.

It’s unclear whether this part of the statement conflicts with college regulations, which mandates doctors not abandon patients requesting help to die.

“The physician is expected to provide sufficient information and resources to enable the patient to make his or her own informed choice and access all options for care, even if providing such information conflicts with the physician’s deeply held and considered moral or religious beliefs,” college standards say.

“This currently means arranging timely access to another physician or resource that will provide accurate information about all available medical options.”

The bishops add that the pending legalization of physician-assisted dying is particularly concerning for frail seniors, who are often emotionally abandoned and made to feel like they are a burden. As well, they warn that Albertans with mental illnesses must be protected, since such illnesses can affect someone’s ability to give informed consent to die.

Read the bishops’ statement:

Statement of the Catholic Bishops of Alberta on Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia