Brussels, Belgium, May 2, 2017 / 01:59 am
Following a decision by the board of several Belgian Catholic psychiatric hospitals to start performing euthanasia, the religious brothers who operate the hospitals said the policy change is unacceptable and cannot be implemented.
"We deplore this new vision," said Brother René Stockman, the superior general of the Brothers of Charity. Brother Stockman is himself a Belgian and a leading opponent of euthanasia.
The Brothers of Charity in Belgium run 15 psychiatric hospitals with 5,000 patients. The board controlling their institutions has said it will now allow euthanasia in these hospitals.
Brother Stockman said he has informed the Belgian congregation that "as general superior we cannot accept this decision, because it is going totally against our charism of the charity."