Irish archbishop asks to write to parliamentarians so that they do not approve assisted suicide

The president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Ireland, Bishop Eamon Martin, called on voters to write to their deputies to strongly oppose the project to legalize assisted suicide.

This October 16, a bill to legalize assisted suicide will be presented in the Westminster Parliament, and the following day members of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) will discuss the Final Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying.

The Catholic Episcopate of Ireland provides pastoral care for the faithful who live both in the north of the island, under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, and for those who live in the independent Republic of Ireland.

In a published statement on the website of the Episcopate, Bishop Martin, also Archbishop of Armagh, noted that for all who value a culture of life, “the introduction of laws allowing assisted suicide is an affront to a safe and protective society.”

For this reason, he indicated that this project “must be firmly opposed.” “As a society, we are defined by the degree to which we care for our most vulnerable people, including those who suffer from disabilities, terminal illnesses or are approaching the end of life,” he said.

Likewise, he said that beyond the evangelical imperative, “it is noteworthy that medical and health professionals are also gravely concerned about an evolving political ideology that would interfere with their call to ‘do no harm’ and that would legally erode the right to life at all stages.”

In that sense, he urged “all people of good will to contact their deputies as soon as possible to ask them to reject this law.”

“Furthermore, as we expect a general election in Ireland to take place shortly, I ask voters to contact their MPs and Senators to check their commitment to protecting end-of-life care and to be included in electoral programs investments to improve palliative care and the provision of palliative care,” he added.

In your carta pastoral Freedom to live fully until death comespublished on June 24, the Irish bishops point out that by approving assisted suicide or euthanasia, the State undermines “the confidence of people who are terminally ill, who want to be cared for and who want to live life as fully as possible until Death comes naturally.”

The prelates affirm that people who are at the end of their lives “have the right to be accompanied in a comprehensive manner.” Therefore, they call for palliative care to be made available more widely in hospitals and hospices and in the community.