Elderly people in Ireland are worried about proposals to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia, Roman Catholic bishops have said.
In a message for the annual Day for Life, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference warned that many have been made to feel they are a burden or a nuisance.
In 2020, Gino Kenny introduced a Private Member’s Bill seeking to liberalise the law on euthanasia and assisted suicide in the Republic.
Value
The bishops’ message invited people to “think again about the value and worth of older persons in families and in society” and to take practical steps to “build bridges between the generations”.
It encouraged “engagement in political debate on providing adequately resourced care of older persons so that no-one feels like a burden in our society”.
It also challenged politicians and the healthcare system to provide access to palliative care for all.
Attempts to liberalise
Last year the Private Member’s Bill was severely criticised by Protestants and Roman Catholics alike.
Representatives of the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian Church and the Roman Catholic Church demanded that the so-called Dying with Dignity Bill be abandoned.
It did not progress to Committee Stage because of “serious technical issues” but the Joint Committee on Justice recommended that a Special Oireachtas Committee be established to undertake an examination on the topic.
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