Religious leaders in the UK have united against assisted suicide

Photo: M Mazur/CBCEW

Source: CBCEW

Cardinal Vincent Nichols signed a multi-faith letter ahead of Friday’s parliamentary vote on assisted suicide

As leaders of religious communities, we would like to express our concern about the bill on terminally ill persons (at the end of life), which will be the subject of debate by parliamentarians on November 29. We realize how complex and important this topic is. The bill has many dimensions, each of which is of great ethical and practical importance. We join in prayers with all those across the country who may be personally affected by this situation, as well as with our representatives in parliament who have important decisions ahead of them.

Part of the role of faith leaders in communities is to provide spiritual and pastoral care to the sick and dying. We hold the hands of loved ones in their last days and pray with families both before and after death. We were called to this calling and it is from this calling that we write.

Our pastoral roles make us deeply concerned about the impact this bill will have on the most vulnerable, creating the potential for life-threatening abuse and coercion. We know this is a concern for many people, with and without faith.

It is estimated that 2.7 million older people in the UK have been victims of abuse; many may also be susceptible to pressure to end their lives prematurely. Disability activists and people working with women in abusive relationships also highlighted the danger of unintended consequences if the law were changed. The experiences of jurisdictions that have introduced similar legislation, such as Oregon and Canada, show how tragic these unintended consequences can be. Promised safeguards did not always protect vulnerable and marginalized people.

Even when surrounded by loving family and friends, people can still feel like a burden at the end of their lives. This is particularly the case when adult social care remains underfunded. In this situation, it’s easy to see how the “right to die” can all too easily end in a sense of obligation to die.

We believe that the current law provides much greater security for the defenseless than the bill currently being considered in parliament. A bill that parliamentarians will have only three weeks to read before voting. The most effective protection against life-threatening coercion or abuse is to keep the law as it is.

While we support the current state of the law, we do not deny that some people experience painful deaths, although we welcome the fact that these deaths are much less common than they used to be due to advances in palliative care.

Over the decades, we have witnessed how compassionate care combined with the natural dying process allows people at the end of life to experience important moments. We witnessed the repair of relationships and family reconciliation. We have seen life end in love. By shortening these processes, you can lose a lot.

We believe that a truly compassionate end-of-life response involves providing high-quality palliative care services to all who need them. Although there are many examples of excellent palliative care in this country, it remains disturbingly underfunded. Investing in palliative care is the policy of a truly compassionate nation. This is a way to ensure that every member of society, including the most vulnerable, receives the care they deserve at the end of life.

Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London and former Director of Nursing;
Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop of Westminster;
Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.
Said Abdul Saheb Al-Khoei, Secretary General of the Al-Khoei Foundation;
Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Church;
Imam Qari Asim, Chairman of MINAB (Mosques and Imams Advisory Board);
Glyn Barrett, leader of the National Assemblies of God;
Anil Bhanot, board member of the Hindu Council of Great Britain;
Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance;
Malcolm Deboo, President of Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe;
Joseph Dweck, senior rabbi of the Sephardic community in Spain and Portugal;
Pinchas Hackenbroch, president of the Rabbinical Council;
Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE (Christian Action, Research and Education);
Trevor Howard, executive vice president of the board of Churches in Communities International;
Andrew John, Archbishop of the Church in Wales;
Nikitas Lulias, Archbishop of Great Britain, Greek Orthodox Church;
Paul Main and Jenine Main, territorial leaders of The Salvation Army in Great Britain and Ireland;
Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, Roman Catholic Church;
Zara Mohammed, General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Great Britain;
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, spiritual leader and chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha; Trupti Patel, Chair of the UK Hindu Forum;
Mark Pugh, General Superintendent of Pentecostal Churches in Elim;
Mehool Sanghrajka, head of the Institute of Jainology;
Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, President of the Sri Lanka Sangha Sabha from the United Kingdom;
Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Director of the Network of Sikh Organizations in the UK;
Jonathan Wittenberg, senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism;
Mar Awraham Youkhanis, Bishop of London, Assyrian Church of the East.