Churchgoers ‘have Christian duty’ to oppose bid to legalise assisted dying

A senior figure in the Roman Catholic Church has warned of “serious and wide-reaching” consequences if Scotland passes new legislation on assisted dying, as he called on church members to oppose it “as a matter of Christian duty”.

Archbishop Leo Cushley said that if Holyrood passes legislation being brought forward by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, it would “undoubtedly further undermine the value our society places on human life”.

The Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh spoke out in a letter issued to members of the Catholic Church.

He wrote: “The arguments for legalising ‘assisted dying’ are presented as being compassionate and humanistic, but if this law is passed it will undoubtedly further undermine the value our society places on human life, profoundly affecting how we treat those who are suffering and how we care for those who are dying.”

Mr McArthur is bringing forward his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill after winning sufficient support from MSPs at Holyrood.

The Liberal Democrat, who is bringing a member’s Bill, has already pledged to “craft legislation which is tightly drawn and contains strong safeguards”.

Mr Cushley said: “Legalising euthanasia would send a message across the whole of society that lives which entail physical and mental suffering, or severe physical disabilities, can be considered no longer worth living.

“This is not only wrong in principle – for no life is worthless – it could also have a terrible and tragic effect on vulnerable individuals at their weakest moments.

“There have been considerable advances in end-of-life palliative care in recent years, but there is a real risk that the introduction of legalised suicide would gradually diminish funding for hospices with their wonderful and dedicated staff.

“It is also likely to reduce investment in further important research into pain management.

“The overwhelming evidence is that persistent requests for assisted suicide are extremely rare when people’s physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs are adequately met.”

The archbishop called on Catholics, “as a matter of Christian duty, to make known your opposition to this legislation by signing the petition in your church”.

The legislation proposed by Mr McArthur would require two doctors to certify that a patient is terminally ill and has the mental capacity to make the decision to end their life.

The doctors would ensure anyone making such a request is aware of all palliative and hospice care options, while the patient would be asked to sign a written declaration of their intentions followed by a period of reflection, and would have to administer the life-ending drugs themselves.

A total of 14,038 responses were received in the consultation for Mr McArthur’s proposed Bill, with the MSP adding that these showed majority support for the change.

Holyrood has already voted down two attempts to legislate for assisted suicide in Scotland.