The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has published a pastoral statement entitled “Freedom to Live Fully, Until Death Comes” to inform people of faith and goodwill who wish to protect and support human life with dignity and compassion, especially in the last weeks of terminal illness.
The pastoral letter came out at the end of June 2024, in view of national discussions following the Irish parliament’s “Final Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying” published in March, in which the government introduces legislation allowing for assisted dying in certain circumstances.
The pastoral statement consists of a text, but also a 35-minute video that explains and illustrates the Church’s teachings on end-of-life care, and especially its focus on the compassionate care needs of the whole person. Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin Diocese and Chair of the Irish Bishops’ Council for Life spoke to Vatican News, and said the aim of the video was to better convey the human reality of these issues.
The video is entitled “Through the Valley” and features a collection of reflections and conversations with the terminally ill, family members of people who have died with terminal illness, and healthcare professionals. Bishop Doran believes, “this medium of film helps to capture…a human story which is so important in getting across the message that it is actually possible to live fully and richly, even in terminal illness and even in palliative care.”