Church leaders urge prayers ahead of UK Parliament’s debate on assisted suicide
As the U.K. Parliament gears up to debate the legalization of assisted suicide, church leaders nationwide are urging prayers and compassionate actions to prevent the proposed law from undermining the sanctity and dignity of human life.
The forthcoming discussion in Parliament will include the second reading of Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill in the House of Lords and a new Private Member’s Bill by backbench Labour MP Jake Richards aimed at legalizing the practice, Christian Today reported.
Bishop John Sherrington, the Catholic Church’s lead bishop for life issues, says there’s a need for proper care and support for the terminally ill, and warned that “the legalization of assisted suicide undermines the sanctity and dignity of human life.” Evidence, he laments, indicates that legalizing assisted suicide poses risks to society’s most vulnerable members.
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“The Catholic Church accompanies those suffering and nearing the end of their lives with hope and affection, but also reminds them that their life is precious until the very last breath,” Sherrington stated.
“This is the work that hospices and other healthcare institutions and hundreds of thousands of individual carers undertake every day, helping the terminally ill and dying to leave this world whilst preserving their dignity. They truly provide assistance to those who are dying,” he added.
Ross Hendry, CEO of the Christian advocacy group CARE, described assisted suicide as “medically dangerous and unethical.” Hendry bases his assessment on the Christian moral framework that views each individual as inherently dignified and worthy of protection, irrespective of illness or other factors.
Recent polling by the research group Living and Dying Well revealed mixed public opinion on the issue. Findings show that fewer than half of 18- to 24-year-olds in the U.K. support legalizing assisted suicide, while a majority of adults fear its potential to normalize the practice. Concerns also extend to pressures some patients might feel to end their lives prematurely.
Lord George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, has advocated for the legalization of assisted dying, arguing that it aligns with Christian values of preventing undue suffering. Carey, who has supported assisted dying initiatives since 2014, has urged the government to consider laws that offer choice in dying with adequate safeguards.
Carey believes that assisted dying should only be an option for those expressing a clear, persistent wish for it and suggested it was an “act of great generosity, kindness and human love” to aid those wanting to end their suffering.
In its submission, the Church of England has warned of a slippery slope, suggesting that legalization could lead to more lenient practices over time.
The CofE has raised concerns over “improper psychiatric testing” in places like Oregon and the prevalence of “doctor shopping,” with patients searching for medical professionals willing to administer lethal drugs. It has also warned about challenges to the original law, expanding the definition of assisted dying to include those with non-terminal but “grievous and irremediable” medical conditions.
Christian Concern’s Paul Huxley has said that legalizing assisted suicide sends a troubling message about the value of life, particularly for vulnerable individuals.
“It would be a very dangerous thing to do. … Assisted suicide changes the way doctors think about how they care for people. They think, ‘oh well, we can offer you euthanasia’ rather than thinking about how can we look after this person …,” Huxley wrote in an op-ed. “I think it’s a very concerning message that we are sending to people.”
Last August, Christian charity CARE expressed concerns over the implications of legalizing assisted suicide in the U.K., following the release of David Hunter by a Cypriot court.
Hunter, 76, was sentenced to two years in prison for the manslaughter of his terminally ill wife, Janice, 74, who he helped to die at their home in Paphos in 2021. He served 19 months before his release. Hunter claimed he acted on his wife’s desperate pleas to end her suffering from blood cancer, describing her as “hysterical” and insistent on ending her life.
CARE criticized the narrative surrounding the case, describing it as a “troubling” example of how assisted suicide discussions can overshadow the need for compassionate care.
Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE, said the proper response to Janice Hunter’s distress over her cancer diagnosis would have been specialist support, not assisted suicide. He added that the case involved the violent death of a vulnerable individual, revealing the dangers and ethical complexities associated with legalizing assisted dying.
