The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is taking action against a proposed assisted suicide bill. They are leading with a clear message, saying assisted dying is not care, it is a “cheap death.”
The bill was proposed in the Scottish parliament in March of this year and would allow terminally ill patients to be assisted by health professionals to end their life. If the bill passes, Scotland could become the first part of the UK to legalize assisted dying.
In a 16-page response letter issued to the Social Care and Sport Committee, the Scottish Bishops' Conference called out the threat that this bill poses to the value of life. The letter reads in part:
Assisted suicide attacks human dignity and results in human life being increasingly valued on the basis of its efficiency and utility…
The proposal, to be blunt, provides a quick, cheap alternative to good pallitative care.
The words of the Scottish bishops' reflect the stance that Pope Francis has expressed throughout his pontificate.
POPE FRANCIS
The practice of euthanasia, which has already been legalized in several countries, apparently is intended to promote personal freedom. In reality, it is based on a utilitarian view of the person. They are seen as useless or equated with a cost.
In their response, the bishops also drew in research from other areas of the world where assisted suicide is legal—such as the U.S. state of Washington, where the health department reported that 59% of patients request assisted suicide because they feel they are a “burden.”
The bishops also mentioned the Netherlands, where in 2022, there were nearly 9,000 deaths by euthanasia or assisted suicide. And in 2023, five people younger than 30 died by assisted suicide, citing autism as their reasoning.
The member of the Scottish parliament who proposed the bill says he expects it to be debated this fall and hopes it will be voted on in 2025.
AT
