The UKs most senior Catholic has called on church-goers to lobby their MPs to vote against the proposed Bill on assisted dying.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, has issued a pastoral letter warning congregations across his diocese: Be careful what you wish for.
It comes after Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said her Bill on the issue will be introduced to Parliament this week, and have its first Commons debate next month. This will be the first time in almost a decade that MPs have debated and voted on the controversial topic.
Sir Keir Starmer has promised Labour members a free vote, honouring a commitment he made to Dame Esther Rantzen, the terminally ill founder of Childline.
Dame Esther, 84, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last year and has since revealed she has joined the assisted-dying clinic Dignitas in Switzerland.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols (pictured), the Archbishop of Westminster, has issued a pastoral letter warning congregations across his diocese: Be careful what you wish for
Campaigners in support of voluntary euthanasia protest outside Parliament in Westminster, London
An undated handout from The Last Resort, an assisted dying group, of a suicide pod
Demonstrators, including Humanists UKs members and supporters, during a protest outside the Houses of Parliament
Cardinal Nichols said last week on X, formerly Twitter, that the right to die can quickly become a duty to die
She labelled the current UK legislation cruel and warned that without a change, she and others could face a bad death.
But Cardinal Nichols said last week on X, formerly Twitter, that the right to die can quickly become a duty to die, adding: That is why I urge all Catholics to pray and write to their MPs. Life is a gift from our Creator.
In his pastoral letter, to be read out in churches today, Cardinal Nichols acknowledges that a change in the law may be a source of relief to some. But it will
bring great fear and trepidation to many, especially those who have vulnerabilities and those living with disabilities.
He goes on: Once assisted suicide is approved by the law, a key protection of human life falls away.
Pressure mounts on those who are nearing death, from others or even from themselves, to end their life in order to take away a perceived burden of care from their family, for the avoidance of pain, or for the sake of an inheritance.
The letter concludes: Have discussions with family, friends and colleagues. And pray. Please remember: be careful what you wish for; the right to die can become a duty to die; being forgetful of God belittles our humanity.
A new law, if passed, would be expected to allow terminally-ill adults with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their lives legally in the UK with medical help. But any move to introduce it would spark an intense moral debate – and split Sir Keirs Cabinet.
The PM previously said he backed a change, but wanted to see the details of any legislation before committing to support it.
Others in his party, however, have deep reservations about whether assisted dying would lead to people with other, less life-limiting diseases – or just those who have reached a certain age – being helped to end their lives.