Today, a Bill which would license physician-assisted suicide for the terminally-ill was approved by MPs. This marks a very bleak day in our country’s history.
Let’s be totally clear about the situation we now face; presuming this Bill will eventually become law, somebody as young as 18 years old, who is seriously sick and who is judged to have less than six months to live, will be eligible for an assisted suicide on the NHS. Based on the experience of other jurisdictions who have passed a similar law, I have no doubt that this is not merely about changing the law; we are about to witness a devastating shift in our culture and society. The fundamental principle that we do not involve ourselves in bringing about the deaths of others will be reserved for those who are strong and healthy, while people who are seriously ill and vulnerable will no longer be afforded such protection.
Given the gravity of this Bill, I hope and pray that there will be further opportunity during its passage for deep and critical reflection on the part of all of our society, rather than this highly controversial proposal continuing to be rushed through.
In the meantime, I urge you to pray for the dying, pray for those who care for them, and pray especially for those people wh o may now be contemplating assisted suicide due to misplaced guilt or external coercion.
May God protect them all, and may those who care for them – despite the prospect of such a devastating law – continue to offer the dying care and compassion and not a state-sanctioned lethal prescription.
Right Reverend Patrick McKinney
Bishop of Nottingham
