News from the Catholic Bishops' Conference

When the Private Members’ Bill seeking to legalise assisted suicide passed its Second Reading and vote back in November 2024, it felt like a dark day – one that could lead to a fundamental shift in our culture regarding end-of-life care. Not only that, concerns were aired and remain that the most vulnerable could be coerced into a bad choice, or be made to feel a real burden on those around them. 

Now in the latter weeks of the Committee Stage ahead of the Report Stage, attention is also falling on the myriad of problems with this Bill. The Bishops are opposed in principle but, in addition, the Bill clearly generates more questions than it answers. Will the hospice movement be allowed to continue to punch above its under-funded weight to deliver the end of life care services it is heralded for? Will palliative care be invested in and bolstered in all areas of England and Wales? Will healthcare professionals, many Catholic, be afforded the freedom of conscience not to participate in an assisted death? Will the trusted doctor-patient relationship be forever changed? If made law, would this grease the ‘slippery slope’ pulling other vulnerable groups into scope? Clearly this is something we have witnessed in other jurisdictions where assisted suicide is legal.

Safeguards were promised. A key assertion was the need for a judge to sign-off on a request for an assisted death. No longer necessary, apparently. However you cut it up and amend it, this remains a flawed bill that has not been given the time, and indeed scrutiny, required to legislate on a crucial matter of life and death.

Interview

Now is the time to act ahead of the Third Reading and vote at the end of April or start of May. You can still make your voice heard to oppose assisted suicide. “All is not lost, and we must continue to fight this Bill, especially for the Third Reading,” says Bishop John Sherrington, the Lead Bishop for Life Issues. “It’s really important that people write to their MPs. You can either write a letter, use the cards that come from Right to Life, or use the e-campaign link. But we need to tell MPs of our concerns and why we’re opposed to this Bill.”

Bishop Sherrington was speaking on our Catholic News podcast. The 25-minute interview, that you can listen to or watch, sees Bishop Sherrington talk about our objection to the Bill in principle, and goes into detail about the fundamental problems with this piece of proposed legislation.

More information and listen to interview

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