Scotland: Bishops against Assisted Suicide Bill. “Idea that some people are beyond hope”

“It is a dangerous idea that a citizen can lose their value” as a person. This is the message conveyed by the Assisted Suicide Bill according to which there are situations where suicide is an appropriate response to one’s personal circumstances and anxieties. This bill normalises suicide and promotes the idea that “some people are beyond hope”. With these words, Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, spokesperson on life matters for the Scottish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, commented today on the start of the legislative process on “Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults”, which could legalise assisted dying in Scotland. The bill, which is tabled by Member of the Scottish Parliament Liam McArthur, could make Scotland the first country in the UK to approve assisted dying. The last attempt to legalise assisted suicide was in 2015, but the Scottish Parliament rejected it. This time, however, there is a real possibility that the bill could pass. In recent months, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the most important pro-life associations have conducted a vigorous campaign against Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults, urging the faithful to write to their MPs to oppose the bill in parliament.Patrizia Caiffa