The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has called on MPs to vote down the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, warning that the legislation is “deeply flawed” and poses serious risks to vulnerable people, medical professionals and the health care system.
Supporters of the legislation argue that legalising assisted suicide would offer dying patients autonomy and dignity in choosing the timing and manner of their death – a position the Church firmly rejects.
Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, Catholic lead bishop for life issues, said the bill’s Second Reading in the House of Commons, expected on September 11, is being pushed forward “without the key issues being addressed”.
He pointed to the narrow margin by which the bill passed its Third Reading in the Commons, as well as ongoing debate in the House of Lords, as evidence that it remains contentious and unresolved.
“Assisted suicide is a matter of life and death, and it is wholly unsatisfactory that this divisive and flawed bill is being put to parliament again as a Private Members’ Bill without the key issues being addressed,” he said.
The bill, introduced by Lauren Edwards MP, is essentially the same as that previously sponsored by Kim Leadbeater in the previous parliamentary session. The Leadbeater bill passed in the House of Commons but faced intense scrutiny in the House of Lords and eventually ran out of time.
Edwards has suggested she is open to using the Parliament Acts to bypass the Lords. The Acts allow the Commons, in certain circumstances, to pass the same bill without the Lords’ consent after approving it in two successive parliamentary sessions.
The Archbishop called the legislation “wrong in principle” as he urged the public to contact their MPs to register their opposition ahead of the vote.
A key objection for the Archbishop is the concern that supposed safeguards against coercion and abuse are “wholly inadequate” to protect vulnerable people from pressure to end their lives – a concern that has been echoed by medical professionals.
Archbishop Sherrington argued that allowing medical practitioners to assist patients in ending their lives would alter the founding principles of the National Health Service and erode trust between patients and clinicians.
He further warned that the bill does not adequately protect health and social care workers’ freedom of conscience, and that staff could face pressure to take part in assisted suicide procedures against their will.
He noted that these concerns are shared by major professional bodies, including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Beyond the immediate legal and medical objections, the Archbishop warned of broader consequences for end-of-life care in England and Wales.
Rather than strengthening support for the dying, he said, the bill risks diverting resources from palliative care, which is already under strain.
Hospices and care homes could be compelled to permit assisted suicide on their premises, the Archbishop added. The Catholic Church has previously warned that this requirement would lead to its hospices and care homes being closed altogether.
“We need good hospice care and accompaniment at the end of life as we prepare for eternal life,” the statement concluded.
“Christ calls us to protect and accompany people to a natural death, caring and alleviating their suffering along the way. This bill is not the merciful solution supporters claim it to be.”