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Take action against Assisted Suicide now

Archbishop John has issued a message warning of the dangers of a new attempt by some MPs to legalise assisted suicide, urging each of us to make our voices heard in opposition to this deadly proposal.

In his message, Archbishop John describes the proposed legislation as "a terrifying and deadly law: a law whose ultimate purpose is to end human life". The Archbishop warns that, if passed, it would undermine the God-given right to life of elderly and vulnerable people, and could leave many grandparents, parents and loved ones feeling that death is their only remaining choice.

Archbishop John welcomes the recent intervention of the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who has said that assisted suicide should not be debated until the funding of palliative and social care has been properly addressed. This, the Archbishop says, rightly recognises that good palliative care remains out of reach for too many, with hospices and community nursing services struggling for funds.

However, Archbishop John is equally clear that no amount of funding for care can ever justify a law that intentionally and directly ends people's lives.

There will never be any moral justification – irrespective of the desperately needed funding for palliative and social care – for introducing legislation which will intentionally and directly result in the deaths of so many people.

Whatever language those campaigning for assisted suicide may use, the terrible truth remains unchanged: should this proposal become law, grandparents, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons will die believing there is no possible alternative, no chance of being cared for and loved until their natural death. 

Archbishop John Wilson

Every person, the Archbishop reminds us, is created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:27), and possesses an irrevocable right to life that must be defended. There is no dignity, he explains, in a law whose purpose is to end life; no love in legislation that could divide families; no justice in a law that tells the vulnerable they are a burden; and no mercy in encouraging death rather than offering care.

The Lord Jesus tells us that we are "the light of the world" (Mt 5:14), which is why Archbishop John calls on Catholics to be "the light of Christ" for those whose lives would be put at risk by this Bill. He has urged everyone to write to their Member of Parliament to make clear that assisted suicide has no place in this country: not now, not ever.

The Archbishop also reminds us that "this is not purely a religious issue":

It is a question about the kind of society in which we wish to live. The choice is stark. Do we want to value each person’s life, especially when they become vulnerable through serious illness or disability? Or do we want to create a culture where killing is a better option than caring?"

So please take a few moments and follow the steps below to take action now. 

What you can do

• Take action ahead of the vote on 11 September and write to your MP and ask them to oppose the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Right to Life's website makes this action very easy
• Find further resources from the Catholic Bishops' Conference

Archbishop John Wilson: A Message to Catholics in the Archdiocese of Southwark about the threat of Assisted Suicide

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Some Members of Parliament are, once again, seeking to bring forward a terrifying and deadly law: a law whose ultimate purpose is to end human life. Were this legislation to be passed, it would gravely undermine the God-given right to life of elderly and vulnerable people within our society.

However, this is not purely a religious issue. It is a question about the kind of society in which we wish to live. The choice is stark. Do we want to value each person’s life, especially when they become vulnerable through serious illness or disability? Or do we want to create a culture where killing is a better option than caring? The dark reality is that many grandparents, parents, and vulnerable loved ones could be made to feel that death is their only remaining choice.

The Prime Minister, Mr Andy Burnham, has said that consideration of assisted suicide should not proceed, at least for the present, before the funding of palliative and social care has been properly addressed. We should be grateful for this timely intervention. It recognises something which has too often been overlooked. Good palliative care remains unavailable to many. Hospices and community nursing services struggle for funds, and families are left without the support they need. Proper care is the right alternative to killing by assisted suicide.

However, it is important to be clear that there will never be any moral justification – irrespective of the desperately needed funding for palliative and social care – for introducing legislation which will intentionally and directly result in the deaths of so many people. Whatever language those campaigning for assisted suicide may use, the terrible truth remains unchanged: should this proposal become law, grandparents, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons will die believing there is no possible alternative, no chance of being cared for and loved until their natural death.

No one should underestimate the complexity and difficulty brought by serious illness and disability. Always responding with care, however, must be the foundation of the society we wish to promote, one that respects human life in all situations.

Arguments concerning exceptional cases, the supposedly limited scope of the legislation, or the safeguards which are said to accompany it, cannot distract from the truth and dignity of the human person. Each one of us: you, me, your mother, your grandfather, and every person, is created in the image and likeness of God. (Gen 1:27) Each one of us is willed by God; and each one of us possesses, as God’s gift, an irrevocable right to life which must be defended and protected. This is also the firmly held conviction of many who do not share our faith, but believe in justice and true compassion for everyone.

Faith and justice are the foundations that have shaped our country. We are a nation which has long professed its commitment to human dignity, love, justice, and mercy. Yet there is no dignity in a law whose very purpose is to bring about the ending of human life. There is no love in legislation which may divide families and cause untold grief and regret. There is no justice in a law which may cause vulnerable people to believe that they are a burden, or that they have nothing more to contribute to society. And there is no mercy in encouraging the death of those who are in need, rather than surrounding them with the care, compassion, tenderness, and love which they deserve.

The Lord Jesus tells us that we are ‘the light of the world.’ (Mt 5:14) The light of Christ is the foundation of our dignity. It is Christ who says to us whatever you do to the least of your brothers and sisters, you do it to me. (Mt 25:40) Christ is the reason we raise our voices on behalf of those who are vulnerable. It is the light of Christ which we must make visible to a world that finds it impossible to live in hope. I ask you, therefore, to be the light of Christ in our society. Use your voice for those whose lives would be placed at risk by this deadly Bill. In doing so, we give glory to our Father in heaven. (Mt 5:16)

We do not know what impact the Prime Minister’s intervention will have. But we must continue to make our voices heard. So please write to your Member of Parliament and make clear that there is no place for assisted suicide in our country: not now, not ever. Make clear that the introduction of a law which will lead directly to the deaths of vulnerable people would be a betrayal of the very values upon which our society depends. Dear friends, may God bless you always. May he guide and strengthen you in every effort to defend and protect human life; and may he enable you, by your words and actions, to be the light of Christ in the world.

May Our Lady of Walsingham and St Joseph, pray for us. Amen.