The Most Reverend Mark O’Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia is calling on Catholics and people of goodwill living in Wales to write to their member of the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, to oppose assisted suicide.
Members of the Senedd will be asked to decide whether Wales should give its consent to Westminster’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — a law that would legalise assisted suicide.
This would be a profound change for Wales and would mean that, for the first time, doctors could be asked to assist a patient in ending their life intentionally.
“As a nation, Wales has always valued compassion, care, and the protection of the vulnerable,” said Archbishop O’Toole. “The proposal before the Senedd, driven by legislation from Westminster, risks eroding those values by suggesting that some lives are less worth living. True compassion means accompanying people in their suffering, not ending their lives.
“I encourage everyone of goodwill to make their voices heard — to urge Members of the Senedd to reject this Bill and to support better palliative care and mental health provision, so that every person in Wales can live their final days surrounded by love, not despair.”
If enacted, this bill would put the most vulnerable in society at risk of coercion. The conscientious objection clause for doctors is inadequate. Furthermore, parliament has explicitly rejected an amendment to allow care homes and hospices to opt out of facilitating assisted suicide on their premises and yet many care homes and hospices will want no involvement.
Even with stricter rules, experience from other countries shows that once assisted suicide is introduced, the safeguards soon loosen and those who are elderly, disabled, or feel they are a burden begin to feel subtle pressure to choose death.
Wales deserves better. If you live in Wales, you can stand for dignity and true compassion by using our e-Action form to contact a member of the Senedd.
You can make your voice heard. The focus should be on improving palliative care, supporting families, and ensuring that no one dies in pain or isolation — not on creating a system that risks normalising the taking of life.
Whatever your faith or background, this is a moment to speak up for a Wales that protects the vulnerable.
