Cardinal urges MPs to vote against assisted suicide

In a pastoral letter to be read out in parishes this weekend, Cardinal Vincent Nichols says the Bill is ‘deeply flawed’

The Archbishop of Westminster is calling on Catholics to urge their MPs to vote against the “deeply flawed and under-scrutinised” Bill on assisted suicide

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has written a pastoral letter urging Catholics to contact their MPs – even if they have done so already – to oppose the Bill that seeks to legalise assisted suicide. The letter will be read in the parishes of Westminster archdiocese over the weekend of 5-6 April. Other bishops around England and Wales are also expected to issue similar pastoral letters to be read out this weekend.

As well as restating the bishops’ objections to the Bill in principle, Cardinal Nichols expresses his dissatisfaction regarding the “deeply flawed” parliamentary process.

“It is a fundamental duty of every MP to ensure that legislation is not imposed on our society which has not been properly scrutinised and which will bring about damaging consequences,” he says.

He argues that there should have been a Royal Commission or independent inquiry before considering changing the law on this matter.

“The Bill itself is long and complex and was published just days before MPs voted on it, giving them inadequate time to consult or reflect upon it. The time for debate was minimal. The committee examining the Bill took only three days of evidence: not all voices were heard, and it comprises an undue number of supporters of the Bill. In short, this is no way to legislate on such an important and morally complex issue.”

Ahead of the Bill’s Third Reading and vote, expected to be on or around 25 April, Cardinal Nichols says that many vital questions remain unanswered.

“Can MPs guarantee that the scope of the Bill will not be extended? In almost every country where assisted suicide has been introduced the current scope is wider than was originally intended. What role, if any, will the judiciary have in the process? We were told that judicial oversight was a necessary and vital part of the process; now we are told it isn’t needed at all. What will protect the vulnerable from coercion, or from feeling a burden on family? Can the National Health Service cope with assisted suicide or will it, as the Health Secretary has warned, cause cuts elsewhere in the NHS? Can MPs guarantee that no medical practitioner or care worker would be compelled to take part in assisted suicide? Would this mean the establishment of a ‘national death service’?”

What is needed, he writes, is first-class, compassionate palliative care at the end of life:

“This is already provided to many in our society but, tragically, is in short supply and underfunded. No-one should be dispatched as a burden to others. Instead, a good society would prioritise care for the elderly, the vulnerable, and the weak. The lives of our families are richer for cherishing their presence.”

Urging Catholics to write to their MPs, he says: “Every MP and government has a solemn duty to prevent such legislation reaching the statute book. This, tragically, is what may happen. So I appeal to you: even if you have written before, please make contact now with your MP and ask them to vote against this Bill not only on grounds of principle but because of the failure of Parliament to approach this issue in an adequate and responsible manner.”

Stay updated — add us as a preferred news source on Google: