Bishops of Ireland describe the assisted suicide proposal as “a failure of hope”

The Catholic bishops of Ireland issued on Monday a declaration in which they expose the teachings of the Catholic Church on the end of life and in which they advocate palliative care, amidst pressure from Irish politicians to legalize assisted suicide.

“We believe that every person who is seriously ill, along with all those who care for their care, no matter how difficult the circumstances, are sustained in the unconditional love of God,” the bishops noted.

Therefore, “by legislating on assisted suicide or euthanasia, the State would contribute to undermining the confidence of people who suffer from terminal illnesses, who want to be cared for and want to live life as fully as possible until death comes naturally.” ”.

In the face of terminal illnesses, the Catholic Church has long supported palliative care, which involves the holistic management of a person’s suffering. Assisted suicide and euthanasia are never permitted under Catholic teaching, although denying “extraordinary means” of medical treatment and allowing death to occur naturally may be morally permissible.

Those who promote assisted suicide use the argument of the “autonomy” of the patient, however, the Irish bishops said that taking a life also takes away their autonomy and “cuts off any prospect of growth or healing and represents a failure of hope.”

Instead of assisted suicide, palliative care services need to be more available in hospitals, hospices and in the community, the bishops recommended.

A March 2024 report by an Irish Parliament committee recommended that the government introduce legislation to legalize assisted suicide “in certain restricted circumstances” and with safeguards to prevent coercion.

Under the recommendations, adults suffering from an “incurable and irreversible” condition with six to 12 months to live could request assisted suicide, which would be performed in the presence of a medical professional.

In response to the report, the country’s bishops reiterated that “whatever the circumstances, the deliberate taking of human lives, especially by those whose vocation it is to care for them, undermines a fundamental principle of civilized society, namely that “No person can lawfully take the life of another.”

In addition, the bishops warned that people with intellectual disabilities would be particularly vulnerable under a law of this type, as is the case in Canada, where assisted suicide is intended to be expanded to those who have mental illnesses.

Asking medical professionals to oversee assisted suicides “would radically undermine the spirit of health care,” they said.

Likewise, they indicated that health professionals are treated as mere officials whenever they are pressured “to participate, either directly or by referral, in an act that they themselves consider fundamentally immoral.” “This causes untold damage to the integrity of healthcare in Ireland and removes the human person as its primary focus,” they added.

“In our culture,” the bishops stated, “we rightly hold doctors and nurses in high esteem because they are supposed to always be at the service of life, as long as the patient lives. We call on Catholics to strongly support pro-life nurses and doctors. One day it may be your life.”

Pope Francis has noted that “authentic palliative care is radically different from euthanasia, which is never a source of hope or genuine concern for the sick and dying.”

Assisted suicide and euthanasia have been legalized in recent decades in countries such as Canada, Australia, Spain, Belgium and several states in the United States. In some of these countries, patients can request assisted suicide even if they do not have a life-threatening illness.

This is not the first time that Ireland’s bishops have spoken out against assisted suicide proposals. In 2021, they called the Dying with Dignity bill “contrary to the common good” and “fundamentally flawed.”

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, the country’s largest group of doctors, also spoke out in 2023 against assisted suicide. A representative of the entity said that it is “contrary to best medical practices” and that “the potential harms outweigh the arguments that it can be done in its favor.”

In the nearby United Kingdom, lawmakers have consistently rejected proposals to legalize assisted suicide in recent years. The practice is illegal in England and Wales, and doctors who assist in a suicide can be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison under a 1961 law.

In October 2022, a bill to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales ultimately failed to come to a vote after seven hours of debate and passionate opposition in the House of Lords.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.