London, England, Sep 9, 2021 / 11:00 am
An English bishop is urging Catholics to write to members of the House of Lords urging them to oppose the legalization of assisted suicide in England and Wales.
"I ask you to write to the Peers from your personal experience and share stories which will argue the reasons for opposing the Bill as well as narrate the importance of precious time during the final stages of life," Bishop John Sherrington, an auxiliary of Westminster and Lead Bishop for Life Issues at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said in a Sept. 8 open letter.
A bill sponsored by Molly Meacher, Baroness Meacher, would permit physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live, subject to the approval of two doctors and a high court judge. Meacher is a crossbencher, and chair of Dignity in Dying, which advocates for euthanasia and assisted suicide in the UK.
The Assisted Dying Bill 2021 is set for its second reading in the House of Lords with a full debate Oct. 22. It is the latest in a long line of attempts to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, and some pro-lifers believe that the bill poses the greatest challenge yet.