Jun 17, 2011 / 00:32 am
On June 16 the U.S. bishops approved a document on assisted suicide, which will become their first collective word on the matter. The statement, entitled “To Live Each Day with Dignity,” refutes the idea that assisted suicide is a compassionate form of medical treatment.
“Getting rid of yourself is a false choice,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, chairman of the bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in a press conference following debate on the document at the bishops' spring meeting in Bellevue, Wash.
“The Church needs to respond in a timely and visible way to this renewed challenge, which will surely be pursued in a number of states in the years to come,” the pro-life chairman said.
The document required 180 positive votes from the bishops and received 191.