Catholic bishops are speaking out against doctor-assisted death, while the results of a new poll suggest the majority of Canadians support it.

Last February, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the law banning doctor-assisted suicide, ruling that people who are suffering or have a terminal illness should have the right to die on their own terms.

On Thursday, Dying with Dignity Canada released results of an Ipsos survey that says 85 percent of Canadians polled support doctor-assisted suicide.

“85 percent of Canadians are in support of what the Supreme Court has said,” Bradley Peter of Dying with Dignity Canada said.

“This is a matter of personal choice for people.”

However, Catholic Bishops of Alberta have spoken out against the issue, Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith saying it goes too far.

“It’s a step away from alleviating the suffering to elimination of the patient, and that’s a radically, radically different thing,” Smith said.

The bishops said legalizing assisted suicide could put the mentally ill, elderly or disabled at risk, and the rights of health care workers could be undermined if they are forced to assist in a suicide when they don’t want to.

“Being forced to refer for physician assisted death will eventually kill the very part of me that allows me to be a good and caring physician,” Dr. Matthew Meeuwissen said.

Peter said Dying with Dignity respects the rights of doctors, but said doctors should have a duty to refer.

“They must make sure a patient has access to a physician who is comfortable with that,” Peter said.

“If you’re not referring your patient on, it’s essentially patient abandonment.”

It’s a matter Covenant Health, a Catholic agency that works with a number of hospitals and palliative care units, addressed in a statement. The organization said it is working to “navigate this issue, respecting the rights of conscience and the principle of non-abandonment.”

Meanwhile, Ottawa has been ordered to draft new legislation, the Federal Government has until June to do so.

With files from Susan Amerongen