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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, and strongly opposed by the Catholic Church, will not become law in the current session of Parliament, following the conclusion of the Committee Stage in the House of Lords. The announcement comes as new polling suggests that the Bill would potentially fail if it were reintroduced to the House of Commons, with analysis revealing there have been near-unprecedented levels of opposition to the proposed legislation in the House of Lords.

The Catholic Church opposes the legalisation of assisted suicide out of profound concern for the good of every person in society. Life is a gift from God and remains equally valuable even in times of suffering, it is to be cherished at all stages from conception until natural death.

Speaking on Friday, Archbishop John Sherrington, the Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the CBCEW, said:

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“I wish to express gratitude to all those parliamentarians who have worked tirelessly to preserve the dignity of every human life and ensure that end-of-life care remains rooted in compassion and respect until the natural end of life…

“I am also deeply thankful to all who have supported parliamentarians in so many ways, including lobbying… prayer, and writing to parliamentarians.

“These debates have once again drawn attention to the profound needs of vulnerable people at the end of life. True compassion is never about hastening death, but about accompanying one another with care, love and hope until their natural end. We are grateful to all who have contributed to this discussion, which has underlined the urgent need for improved access to high-quality palliative care.”

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Source: CBCEW