Bishop Philip Egan, Bishop of Portsmouth, has issued an appeal for Members of Parliament to reject the Bill to legalist assisted suicide.

Speaking in a video message, Bishop Egan said:

“The bill itself is dangerously flawed, with, for instance, no conscience clause for a medic who feels they cannot take part in a killing. But the very principle of assisting someone to take their own life is abominable.”

Bishop Egan examined the theological and moral roots of our belief in the sacredness of life, explaining:

“Thou shalt not kill and love thy neighbour as thyself are commandments fundamental not only to Jewish and Christian morality, but to all world religions. They are instinctive principles in every human heart, and they ground the laws governing every civilised society on earth.”

When these principles are contravened by a law which changes how we think about life and death, it is vulnerable people who will suffer, warns the bishop.

“Assisted suicide would put huge pressure on the dying, the elderly, and the most vulnerable. It would tempt them to feel they are a burden, an inconvenience, a drain on the NHS. In Britain, what we need is better palliative care. Britain already leads the way on this, yet to legalise assisted suicide would completely undermine palliative care and the work of care homes.”

The bill also puts pressure on doctors and staff who care for the dying, and Bishop Egan expresses the worry that, “it’s easy to imagine a future in which doctors advise patients to seek suicide rather than treatment.”

He reflects on the situation of other countries where assisted suicide has become legal and warns of “mission creep”.

“More categories of persons will be eligible, not just the terminally ill, but the mentally ill, those with dementia or depression, sick babies, the disabled, and so on. No government in the world can stop this. In Canada already, more than 5% of deaths are by lethal injection.”

Bishop Egan concluded by reiterating the Catholic Church’s unshakeable belief in the sacredness of human life and issued a call to action to all people of good will:

“I urge you, pray and work for the defeat of this bill. Pray and work for better palliative care and a new love and respect for the elderly in our society; pray and work, support and befriend those in the autumn of life so that no one feels they are of little value or a drain on their family and friends.”