Archbishop John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool and Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Bishops’ Conference, has welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s call for palliative care services to be properly funded. The Prime Minister has stated that palliative care and social care funding need to be “fixed” so that vulnerable people can have “peace of mind” about the care that they receive towards the end of their life.
Archbishop John Sherrington said: “It is highly significant that the Prime Minister has confirmed his position about the need for proper palliative and social care ahead of the Second Reading of the fundamentally flawed Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in September. People who are dying are vulnerable and need compassionate care and spiritual accompaniment until their last breath.” Read more.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is back in the House of Commons and seeks to legalise assisted suicide. It will have its Second Reading and vote on Friday, 11 September 2026.
Please write to your MP to make your voice heard and oppose the Bill.
“This bill is wrong in principle,” says Archbishop Richard Moth, President of the Bishops’ Conference, “It is also deeply flawed and, if passed, could lead to vulnerable people feeling pressured into ending their lives. The Bill has a serious lack of protection for health and social care staff and risks putting many wonderful hospices and care homes in the position of no longer being able to operate. I urge you to write to your Members of Parliament to petition them to vote against the Bill at Second Reading.”
You can support the Archbishop’s call and contact your MP now as a matter of urgency. Even if you have already done so in the past, please speak up and voice your opposition. The charity Right to Life UK has provided a simple online mechanism to do this. Use the form below to enter your postcode, make sure the suggested text suits your viewpoint and submit your message to ask your MP to stop this flawed Bill progressing through parliament.
For more information and resources, visit our dedicated section.
Archbishop Richard Moth, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has offered his congratulations to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham:
“As President of the Bishops’ Conference, and on behalf of the Catholic community in our countries, I offer my warm congratulations to Andy Burnham on becoming leader of the Labour Party and now Prime Minister.” Read more.
Abbot Hugh Allan joins us again this month for an episode of At the Foot of the Cross that amplifies the Bishops’ call for Catholics to contact their MPs to ask them to vote against making assisted suicide law. The Bill’s Second Reading and vote takes place on Friday, 11 September 2026.
It’s also very much ‘in with the new’ this month. The UK has a new Prime Minister in Andy Burnham, and the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton has a new Bishop. Fr Stephen Wang, former Rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, will be Ordained the Sixth Bishop of the diocese on Monday, 19 October at 12 noon. You can hear a message from Bishop-elect Stephen Wang at the end of our podcast. Read more.
Visit our ‘News‘ section for our full archive.
Photos from recent events can be found on our Flickr photo channel.
Press releases, news, statements and more. Learn more
Profiles of our diocesan bishops and retired bishops. Learn more
This section keeps at the forefront those iconic, important events that remain a little longer in our memories. Learn more
In this section you can find out more about the Pope, the Vatican and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Learn more
There are 21 geographical dioceses that make up the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Learn more
