Pope Francis drops strongest hint yet about where the Catholic Church stands on assisted dying
Pope Francis appears to have made his views on assisted dying clear in his New Year’s message, calling on the public to ‘respect natural death’.
The Pope has previously spoken out against assisted dying but remained silent on the issue in lead-up to the controversial vote in British parliament.
Yet, during New Year’s Day Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, he urged everyone to ‘respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death’.
In November, MPs in the UK took the first step in passing one of the most historic pieces of legislation in the last decade following five hours of emotionally-charged debate.
The Commons approved the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — which argues for the right for patients with less than six months to live to seek an assisted death in England.
The result was won by a narrow majority — 330 votes to 275, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer among the politicians in favour.
In his homily — a commentary that follows a reading of scripture — the Pope said: ‘I ask for a firm commitment to respect … the dignity of human life, from conception to natural death.
‘So that each person can cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to a future of prosperity and happiness for themselves and for their children.’
The Pope has previously spoken out against assisted dying but remained silent on the issue in lead-up to the vote in British parliament
Yet, during New Year’s Day Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, he urged people to ‘respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death’
In November, MPs voted 330 to 275 in favour of assisted dying, although we won’t know if the Bill becomes a law until later this year at the earliest
He also called for ‘the elimination of the death penalty in all nations’.
Catholic leaders in England and Wales were among the most vociferous opponents of a private member’s bill to legalise assisted dying that ultimately passed in the House of Commons in late November.
That campaign was led by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who called on worshippers to write to their MPs and ask them to vote against the bill.
It is understood the Pope did not raise the issue with Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, when she met him at the Vatican only days before the vote.
But while the bill passed its second reading, assisted dying in England is not a certainty.
In total, 235 Labour MPs supported the Bill alongside 23 Tories, 61 Liberal Democrats, and three Reform UK MPs.
This compared to 147 Labour MPs who opposed the Bill alongside 93 Tories, 11 Lib Dems, and two Reform UK MPs – including party leader Nigel Farage.
The five-hour debate in the Commons saw MPs make impassioned arguments on both sides, with supporters saying they wanted to offer ‘choice’ to those in ‘excruciating agony’.
Catholic leaders in England and Wales were among the most vociferous opponents of a private member’s bill to legalise assisted dying that ultimately passed in the House of Commons
In total, 236 Labour MPs supported the Bill alongside 23 Tories, 61 Liberal Democrats, and three Reform UK MPs
Kim Leadbeater told fellow MPs that her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will give people ‘choice, autonomy and dignity at the end of their lives’
But opponents warned against implementing a ‘state suicide service’ for terminally ill people.
The nation will not know if assisted dying will be enshrined into law until later this year at the earliest.
This is because the bill will now go to a committee stage where MPs can table amendments, before facing further scrutiny and votes in both the Commons and the House of Lords.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the Bill to Parliament, has also said it would likely be a further two years from then for an assisted dying service to be in place.
The Bill includes a number of stipulations regarding who would be able to seek assistance with ending their life, and how they could do so.
First, two independent doctors must confirm that the patient fits the following criteria.
Those who qualify must be over 18, live in England and Wales, and have been registered with a GP for the last year.
They must be deemed to have mental capacity to make the choice to end their own life, and not be pressured into doing so by others.
A medical team must have calculated a bleak prognosis — less than six months.
The patient must also make two seperate declarations of their wish to die to ensure the decision has been adequately considered.
If the medics feel the patient is eligible, the case is referred to a High Court judge who makes the ultimate call.
At least two weeks after a positive ruling, a patient is permitted to take their own life with the help of a doctor.
But concerns have been raised that ‘gaps’ in the legislation would put vulnerable patients at risk of ill-thought-out decisions.
For instance, it emerged in November that doctors will be allowed to broach the topic of assisted suicide with patients even if they have not mentioned it themselves.
And anyone who wants help dying will be allowed to ‘shop around’ until they find a medic who will sign off their application if their first choice is unable or unwilling to do the job.
