Pastoral Letter for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I want to speak with you today about the process in which our Parliament is currently

considering legalising assisted suicide through the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)

Bill. As has been made clear earlier in this debate, as Catholics we have maintained a

principled objection to this change in law recognising that every human life is sacred,

coming as a gift of God and bearing a God-given dignity. We are, therefore, clearly

opposed to this Bill in principle, elevating, as it does, the autonomy of the individual

above all other considerations.

The passage of the Bill through Parliament will lead to a vote in late April on whether

it progresses further. This will be a crucial moment and I, together with all the Bishops

of England and Wales, am writing to ask your support in urging your MP to vote

against this Bill at that time.

There are serious reasons for doing so. At this point we wish not simply to restate our

objections in principle, but to emphasise the deeply flawed process undergone in

Parliament thus far. We wish to remind you that 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.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will fundamentally change many of the key

relationships in our way of life: within the family, between doctor and patient, and

within the health service. Yet there has been no Royal Commission or independent

inquiry ahead of its presentation. It is a Private Member’s Bill. 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 comprised an undue number of supporters of the Bill. In short, this is no

way to legislate on such an important and morally complex issue.

One consequence of this flawed process is 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 that it isn’t needed at all. What will protect the vulnerable

from coercion, or from feeling a burden on their 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’?

In contrast to the provisions of this Bill, what is needed is first-class, compassionate

palliative care at the end of our lives. This is already provided to many in our society

but, tragically, it 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.

It is a sad reflection on Parliament’s priorities that the House of Commons spent far

more time debating the ban on fox hunting than it is spending on debating assisted

suicide.

I am sure that you will share these concerns. It is now clear that this measure is being

rushed without proper scrutiny and without fundamental questions surrounding

safeguards being answered. This is a deeply flawed Bill with untold unintended

consequences.

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.

In his Letter to the Philippians, from which we have heard in today’s Second Reading,

St Paul reflects on the difficulties and responsibilities of life. He speaks of ‘pressing

on’ and ‘striving’ for the fulness of life promised in Christ Jesus. Yet he is totally

confident in his struggles because, as he says, ‘Christ Jesus has made me his own’.

We too have many struggles. We too know that Christ Jesus has made us his own.

And so we too press on with this struggle, so important in our times.

With my prayers for you and all those close to you this Lent.

Yours devotedly in Christ

- Bernard Longley -

Archbishop of Birmingham