The Bishops Conference of England and Wales this week sent out half a million leaflets to parishes across the country urging as many Catholics to oppose moves to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide by supporting the Care Not Killing Alliance.
“We need Catholics to go to their MPs and say we do not want this law,” said Archbishop Peter Smith, who made the call on behalf of the Bishops.
“We are encouraging as many Catholics as possible to support the work of Care Not Killing in whatever way they can.”
In addition to the leaflets explaining the issues and promoting the Alliance, parishes are receiving a 12 page document with suggested materials for use in parishes to raise awareness about Care Not Killing and proposed legislation on assisted suicide; a DVD featuring interviews with leading doctors and a letter to parish priests. In this letter, the Archbishop asks for parishioners to be encouraged to support the vital work of Care Not Killing and to come together to act on this crucial moral issue of our times.
In addition to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, member organisations of Care Not Killing include the British Council on Disability, the Association of Palliative Medicine, the Church of England, the Medical Ethics Alliance, CARE, the Christian Medical Fellowship, the Heythrop Institute and the Islamic Doctors Association.
