Church leaders issue warnings against Assisted Suicide Bill

The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin has warned that the current push to legalise euthanasia sends a message that some lives are less valuable than others.

Archbishop Dermot Farrell also said that what he described as a “vulnerable class” of people are going to suffer if the bill were to come into law.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Dr Farrell was emphatic about the teaching of the Church, saying, “It has to be stated very bluntly, that if it [euthanasia] comes into law at some stage, it’s not only going to encourage the acceptance of assisted suicide, but it’s also going to weaken the protection against what you might call ‘non-consensual killing’ of your vulnerable class of people.”

Meanwhile, in its response to Oireachtas Committee on Justice’s consultation on the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) has said that it would “leave vulnerable members of our society open to abuse, duress or the weight of a perceived expectation that they will relieve others of the burden of caring for them…”

TDs were also warned that it was “poorly drafted” and contained “no robust or sufficient safeguards.” In short, PCI’s submission stated that the Bill should not proceed.