A day after Morgentaler, 90, died in his Toronto home, Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton offered condolences to the family of the abortion crusader.
"Recognizing that they have lost a loved one, I wish to express to Dr. Henry Morgentaler's family the condolences of the Catholic bishops of Canada," said Smith, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' president. "Every human life is sacred and deserves our care and protection.
"As Catholics, we mourn the loss of each life, in particular of those who die in the womb, and pray to God to be merciful to all who die."
Morgentaler is being eulogized as a hero by groups that support abortion and as a destructive force by those who regard him as Canada's father of a government-supported industry that has facilitated up to four million abortions over the past four decades. After opening his first women's clinic in 1969, Morgentaler personally performed thousands of illegal abortions, opened clinics across Canada, served time in jail and fought successfully to dismantle Canada's anti-abortion laws. He died of a heart attack on May 29.
"I prayed for him every day for 25 years, remembered him in my Masses and while saying the rosary," said Jim Hughes, president of Campaign Life Coalition. "I continue to encourage others to pray for him.
"I can remember people telling me that they hated him and hoped he rotted in hell. I said that's not the proper attitude to have, let's all pray for him to change his mind so that he doesn't go to hell.
"Only God knows if he changed his mind in the end."
The Catholic Civil Rights League issued a statement that acknowledged Morgentaler's many court challenges were "probably the biggest single influence” in Canada becoming the only Western nation to condone unrestricted access to legal abortions.
“Nevertheless, his death reminds us of the sanctity of all life, and we continue to pray for him, as well as for his family and friends at this difficult time,” said CCRL executive director Joanne McGarry.
Morgentaler was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust before coming to Canada in 1950. He opened his first abortion clinic in 1969 in Montreal, charging upwards of $200 per procedure, and followed that up by opening clinics across Canada. He is credited with bringing the vacuum suction method of abortion to Canada.
In 1973 he told supporters that he had performed 5,000 illegal abortions. The government claimed he owned $350,000 in back taxes on an estimated income of $1.4 million earned from 1969 to 1972. He was arrested in 1973 and convicted on appeal of performing an illegal abortion. He served 10 months of an 18-month jail sentence.
Morgentaler, an atheist, resumed his practice and opened abortion clinics in Winnipeg and Toronto. He was arrested in both cities. His case eventually wound up in the Supreme Court and in 1988 the justices ruled Canada's abortion laws were unconstitutional and left the matter with Parliament to re-write the law.
That ruling left Canada without an abortion law, a situation that persists to this day. The Brian Mulroney government tried and failed to pass abortion legislation, and successive governments since then have ignored the issue despite polls that show two-thirds of Canadians believe Canada should have an abortion law.
Following the 1988 Supreme Court ruling, Morgentaler expanded his abortion business and eventually operated eight clinics across Canada. His clinics were frequently protested by pro-life advocates. In 1992 a firebomb was exploded at his Toronto clinic.
In 2008 Morgentaler was awarded an Order of Canada, a decision that outraged many Canadians.
Twice divorced, he is survived by his third wife and four children.