Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal Regimes

What does it mean to be a public Catholic institution in Canada? How does this Catholic identity evolve with the secularisation and diversification of society, and with the rising awareness of the complicated legacy of Catholicism and colonisation in Canada? This article explores those questions dra...

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Main Authors: Amélie Barras, Andrea Paras
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press
Series:Canadian Journal of Law and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0829320125000067/type/journal_article
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author Amélie Barras
Andrea Paras
author_facet Amélie Barras
Andrea Paras
author_sort Amélie Barras
collection DOAJ
description What does it mean to be a public Catholic institution in Canada? How does this Catholic identity evolve with the secularisation and diversification of society, and with the rising awareness of the complicated legacy of Catholicism and colonisation in Canada? This article explores those questions drawing on document analysis and interviews with staff working in Catholic health care. Taking a legal pluralist approach, it documents how Catholic health-care institutions navigate between transnational canon laws and ethics, and human rights law. Catholic health care is situated in a web of national and transnational legal regimes. We argue that this navigation takes different forms to adapt to societal changes, such as the authorization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). This article speaks directly to how Christianity continues to play a subtle, but still constant presence in Canadian Catholic hospitals, and debunks tropes that construct relationships between state and religion as one of clear separation.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0829-3201
1911-0227
language English
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Canadian Journal of Law and Society
spelling doaj-art-624d6f445a794f559aaf84c997cb9e8b2025-08-20T12:55:21ZengCambridge University PressCanadian Journal of Law and Society0829-32011911-022712110.1017/cls.2025.6Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal RegimesAmélie Barras0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2226-9126Andrea Paras1https://ror.org/05fq50484 York University , Canadahttps://ror.org/01r7awg59 University of Guelph , CanadaWhat does it mean to be a public Catholic institution in Canada? How does this Catholic identity evolve with the secularisation and diversification of society, and with the rising awareness of the complicated legacy of Catholicism and colonisation in Canada? This article explores those questions drawing on document analysis and interviews with staff working in Catholic health care. Taking a legal pluralist approach, it documents how Catholic health-care institutions navigate between transnational canon laws and ethics, and human rights law. Catholic health care is situated in a web of national and transnational legal regimes. We argue that this navigation takes different forms to adapt to societal changes, such as the authorization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). This article speaks directly to how Christianity continues to play a subtle, but still constant presence in Canadian Catholic hospitals, and debunks tropes that construct relationships between state and religion as one of clear separation.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0829320125000067/type/journal_articlereligionlawCatholicismhealth caresecularismpoliticsmedical assistance in dyingreligiondroitcatholicismesoins de santésécularismepolitiqueaide médicale à mourir
spellingShingle Amélie Barras
Andrea Paras
Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal Regimes
Canadian Journal of Law and Society
religion
law
Catholicism
health care
secularism
politics
medical assistance in dying
religion
droit
catholicisme
soins de santé
sécularisme
politique
aide médicale à mourir
title Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal Regimes
title_full Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal Regimes
title_fullStr Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal Regimes
title_full_unstemmed Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal Regimes
title_short Canadian Catholic Health Care at the Nexus of Multiple Legal Regimes
title_sort canadian catholic health care at the nexus of multiple legal regimes
topic religion
law
Catholicism
health care
secularism
politics
medical assistance in dying
religion
droit
catholicisme
soins de santé
sécularisme
politique
aide médicale à mourir
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0829320125000067/type/journal_article
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