In many cities across North America, the White Mass is celebrated annually by the bishop to honour those in the medical community who work in health care, including doctors and medical students. The tradition, so named for the white coats worn by physicians, is an opportunity for fellow professionals of the field to come together and ask God to bless their work as doctors and caregivers, as well as the patients they care for.

In November 2012 our Archbishop Mgr. Christian Lépine graciously accepted to celebrate the first White Mass in Montreal, at the request of the Montreal Catholic Physicians’ Association. Since then it has been held annually in the Assumption Chapel of Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral.

This year’s Mass was held the evening of Saturday, January 25, 2020. In the homily Mgr. Lépine alluded to the current situation in our country, with both Quebec and Canadian governments preparing to expand access to euthanasia (“medical aid in dying”) to ever more groups of vulnerable people. He recalled that many doctors in the Association have worked tirelessly, first to try to prevent euthanasia being made legal, then to prevent its spread to more groups, and to inform colleagues and the public about issues related to the end of life and palliative care. He urged us to not give up, but to keep working even when it seems we are losing all the battles.

Afterwards we gathered again with Archbishop Lépine in the basement of the Cathedral for supper and the Annual General Meeting of the Association. It was another opportunity to discuss the ethical challenges we are facing with euthanasia legal in our country. Some doctors expressed poignantly the moral distress they experience when the civil law commands actions that are contrary to God’s law and the good of our patients. Others shared how supported they feel, knowing they have Catholic colleagues they can call upon for advice and encouragement in challenging situations.

On a more positive note, there was much enthusiasm about the upcoming annual conference of the Canadian Federation of Catholic Physicians & Societies. This year we are hosting colleagues from across the country in Montreal May 1-3, 2020. The theme is Wonderfully made: technology for patient care; some excellent speakers will address the ways technology can improve the care given, but can also create challenges to high-quality whole-person care. The conference is open to all health professionals: we hope many Montrealers who are not presently in contact with our Association will join us.