Catholic bishops ‘shocked and disappointed’ after assisted dying Bill is voted through by MPs

The future of many Catholic hospices and other institutions could now be under threat after MPs have voted to accept the assisted dying bill in the House of Commons this afternoon by a majority of 23.

After 314 MPs voted in favour and 291 against, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will now progress to the House of Lords. However, after today’s vote at the Third Reading it is almost certain to become law, with an estimated four years before its provisions can be accessed.

Archbishop of Liverpool John Sherrington, the lead bishop on life issues for England and Wales, said Catholic bishops were “shocked and disappointed” that MPs voted for a “flawed” Bill that gives them “great cause for concern”.

“The Catholic Church believes in promoting a culture of life and compassionate care. Allowing the medical profession to help patients end their lives will change the culture of healthcare and cause legitimate fears amongst those with disabilities or who are especially vulnerable in other ways,” said Archbishop Sherrington.

“We are also concerned about the future of palliative care, not least because experience suggests that, unless there are explicit protections, hospices may be required to co-operate with assisted suicide. If this were to happen, the future of many Catholic institutions could be under threat.”

He reiterated that improving the quality and availability of palliative care offers “the best pathway to reducing suffering at the end of life” and pledged that the Catholic bishops continue to advocate for this.

The Church of England’s Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, a former Chief Nursing Officer for England, warned that there remain serious concerns from the medical profession, palliative care specialists, and those facing the end of life.

The Bill would arrive amid hugely inequitable access to palliative care and an NHS on life support, she said. “The potential for abuse and uninformed or coerced decisions is enormous. This is not about so-called progressivism v conservatism, or atheism v religion. This is about the kind of society we want to live in. The vision that this Bill presents is one in which the disabled and vulnerable are made to feel like they are a burden, as if their lives are worth less.”

Right to Life said they believed the Bill had lost so much support since its Second Reading that it could still be overturned in the Lords.

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson, said, “This marks a remarkable reversal in fortunes for the Bill, which has gone from passing its Second Reading in November last year by a 55-vote majority, to only passing Third Reading by 23 votes.”

“Although the Bill passed the Commons today, momentum remains with its opponents, with support consistently falling every time MPs have considered it. The Bill leaves the Commons lacking a majority, with fewer than half of all MPs voting for it at its final stage.

“We will be fighting this Bill at every stage in the House of Lords, where we are confident it can be overturned given its continued loss of support.”

Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing, said, “This is a deeply flawed and dangerous bill that since November has been made considerably worse with important safeguards watered down or scrapped. Take the proposal for the High Court to oversee each application as part of a formal judicial process – something sold to the public as making the bill the ‘safest in the world’. Now an opaque informal panel, will review applications, chosen from those with a predisposition in favour of assisted suicide as most medics and psychiatrists will refuse to take part.” 

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