The advancement of the assisted suicide bill in the House of Commons has been rejected by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, who call for continuing to pray that legislators change their minds in the next stages.
He Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill It was approved this November 29 in its second reading in the House of Commons by 330 votes to 275, after several hours of debate.
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The project proposes that people over 18 years of age with terminal illnesses and who have a life expectancy of less than six months can request assisted suicide.
“We are disappointed,” he said. in a statement Bishop John Sherrington, the bishop responsible for matters concerning the life of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of England and Wales.
“We believe this bill is flawed in principle and also contains particular clauses that are concerning. “We ask the Catholic community to pray that members of parliament have the wisdom to reject this bill at a later stage in its progress,” he added in his statement this Friday.
The bishop indicated that, in addition to opposing assisted dying on principle, the Catholic Church is particularly concerned about clauses “that prevent doctors from adequately exercising conscientious objection, provide inadequate protection to hospices and care homes” that they do not want to carry out this practice “and allow doctors to start conversations about assisted suicide.”
Therefore, Bishop Sherrington asked that these voices be heard “in the next stages of the bill to reinforce the deep concerns about this legislation.”
“We have expressed the view, during this debate, that genuine compassion involves walking alongside those who need care, especially during illness, disability and old age.”
He said that “the calling to care is at the heart of the lives of so many people who care for their loved ones and is the sign of a truly compassionate society. “It is essential that we nurture and renew the innate calling that many people have to compassionately care for others.”
In that sense, after pointing out that palliative care offers “the best way to reduce suffering at the end of life,” the bishop assured that the Catholic Church will continue to “advocate for this and support those who work tirelessly to care for the dying in our hospices, hospitals and nursing homes.”
For it to become lawthe text must still be examined by a committee of deputies, after which amendments can be proposed.
Hence comes a new debate in the House of Commons – called third reading – in which the votes could change. If it passes this vote, the project will be sent to the House of Lords to undergo new stages.
If the lords approve it without making changes, the bill will be sent to King Charles III for sanction.
The last time parliamentarians voted on an assisted dying bill was in 2015, when it was rejected in its second reading.
Eduardo Berdejo
Professional in Social Communication from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru, I have more than 20 years of experience in Catholic digital journalism. As part of ACI Prensa I have been sent to cover Pope Francis’ trips to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, in addition to the Synodality Synod in the Vatican in 2023.