Paris, France, Mar 31, 2018 / 11:31 am
Amid a push to legalize physician-assisted suicide in parts of Europe, 118 French bishops signed a declaration this week promoting end-of-life care and explaining the Church's opposition to suicide in all forms.
"Whatever our convictions, the end of life is a time we all will live and a concern we share. Everyone must be able to think as calmly as possible, avoiding the pitfalls of passions and pressures," the bishops said in the document.
"We want, above all, to express our full compassion for our brothers and sisters at the 'end of life,' as the Church has always tried to do. They present themselves in their weaknesses…their existence is a call: what humanity, what attention, what kind of solicitude will we show to those who live among us?" the bishops continued.
The declaration, called "End of Life: Yes to the Urgency of Fraternity," was signed by 118 French bishops on March 22. The document was published to promote compassion towards those nearing the end of their lives, and to oppose physician-assisted suicide legislation.