Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Bishops’ Conference, is encouraging Catholics to unite in prayer and compassionate action as Parliament prepares to renew the debate around assisted suicide:
“Parliament returned this week, and with it the prospect of renewed debates on the ethics of assisted suicide. The second reading of Lord Falconer’s ‘Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill’, which seeks to legalise assisted suicide, will take place in the House of Lords. There will be an attempt to introduce a similar Bill to the House of Commons.
“I wish to reaffirm that the Catholic Church has always been opposed to assisted suicide in every circumstance. The legalisation of assisted suicide undermines the sanctity and dignity of human life. There is also now ample evidence across the world that the legalisation of assisted suicide puts the most vulnerable members of society at risk. 1
“The Catholic Church accompanies those suffering and nearing the end of their lives with hope and affection, but also reminds them that their life is precious until the very last breath. This is the work that hospices and other healthcare institutions and hundreds of thousands of individual carers undertake every day, helping the terminally ill and dying to leave this world whilst preserving their dignity. They truly provide assistance to those who are dying.
“In preparation for these challenging debates, let us offer our prayers for those facing the end of their lives, that they may receive the care and support they need to live their final days with respect for their dignity. Let us also pray for our politicians and our country that wisdom and compassion may guide their decisions. I also urge all Catholics to become better informed about the serious problems associated with the legalisation of assisted suicide.
“We encourage everyone to use resources on the end of life that can be found on the Life Issues pages of the Bishops’ Conference website to better understand the implications of assisted suicide. It is also possible to contact your Member of Parliament to ask their views on a number of life issues by following this link.
“Let us unite in prayer and compassionate action as Parliament prepares to consider these issues.”
1 See Twycross, R. (2024) “Assisted dying: principles, possibilities, and practicalities. An English physician’s perspective”, BMC Palliative Care 23(1).
