“Do not distort fraternity.” This is the response of the French bishops to President Emmanuel Macron, who mentioned “a revolution of fraternity” regarding the bill dedicated to end-of-life issues.
On the first day of their plenary assembly in Lourdes on Monday, March 18, around 100 bishops of France adopted a strong opposition to the bill, which plans to legalize active assistance in dying under certain strict conditions. This opposition was expressed in a statement published on Tuesday, March 19, as the bill has just been submitted to the Council of State for review.In a statement, the bishops reaffirm their “commitment to the French approach of refusing induced death and giving priority to palliative care,” following the recommendations of the National Consultative Ethics Committee.
The Bishops’ Conference also calls on French Catholics to engage with people with disabilities, the elderly, or those at the end of life. “The request for assisted suicide or euthanasia is often an expression of a feeling of loneliness and abandonment to which we cannot, and must not, resign ourselves,” explain the bishops.
The French bishops hope to influence the parliamentary discussions that will open in committee next month. Some 81% of French people support the bill, according to a survey conducted by the Ifop-Fiducial institute for Sud Radio following the announcement made by the French president.