Dear Parishioners
I am writing about a Bill that is to be debated in the House of Commons later this month
(Friday 29th November) that would legalise assisted suicide in this country.
On Wednesday 13th November we will pray together, before the Blessed Sacrament, at
2pm in a Holy Hour asking God’s blessing on our country. The debate and vote on the
Terminal Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the House of Commons on 29th November is
uppermost in our prayers. We pray that many minds and hearts will be opened to
understand the life of every person as a gift from God. We pray that our legislature will not
diminish that dignity of each person, and not create circumstances in which a misplaced
‘right to die’ becomes a duty placed on others to take part in a deliberate killing. We will also
give thanks to God for all who accompany the dying and provide palliative care with
tenderness and compassion.
I offer these websites for your information and the means of contacting your MP.
https://righttolife.org.uk/ASthreat
H.E. Cardinal Nichols calls us all to prayer on Wednesday 13th November 2024.
The Anscombe Bioethics Centre (formerly the Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics), which is the national Catholic bioethics centre for the UK and Ireland), has some new resources on this: https://www.bioethics.org.uk/educational-resources/resources-on-eas/
There are also useful resources on the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales website:
God bless you all
Fr Mehall