British religious leaders unite to stop proposed euthanasia law

Published: 2005-10-10

LONDON (CNS) -- Catholic and Anglican leaders in Britain have united to condemn a new attempt to legalize euthanasia for the terminally ill. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster and Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, spoke out against euthanasia on the eve of a debate in the House of Lords. The debate focuses on a House of Lords select committee report on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, which 73-year-old Lord Joffe plans to reintroduce at the end of October or beginning of November, according to reports in the British press Oct. 10. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, speaking on a British Broadcasting Corp. program Oct. 9, said he hoped politicians would argue against the bill. "If this law is passed, it seems to me that the duty of the law to act on behalf of the people would be broken, because the law is there to protect life, and a right to die can become a duty to die," he said.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .