Church of England Votes Against Legalisation for Euthanasia

The Church of England has once again rejected the legalisation of euthanasia or assisted suicide, in a vote at the General Synod in York.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams questioned the motives behind such a bill, fearing that the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia might be motivated by the need for cost-cutting in healthcare.

He said although the provision of palliative care across Britain was "patchy", establishing a more equal service would be very costly: "This is not simply a debate about medical ethics, it’s also about economic ethics.

"In a climate where the pressure is all towards a functionalised, reduced style of healthcare provision, this [assisted dying] must be a very, very tempting option to save money and resources."

Dr Williams went on to warn that the economic nature of the issue made it simultaneously "a question about power."

He added, "If the Church is to be true to itself, in insisting that our economic life, our economic investment at every level is as morally and theologically coherent as any other area of our lives, then we need to make this point public."

The Archbishop’s opposition to the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, introduced by Lord Joffe in the House of Lords last year, was reiterated by speaker after speaker. Many speakers also spoke of personal experiences with the deaths of terminally ill relatives.

The bill was rejected by the Synod with a massive 293 to 1 vote against.

Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops also issued a joint statement in September last year, in which they also spoke resoundingly against any such a proposal, saying, "It is deeply misguided to propose a law by which it would be legal for terminally ill people to be killed or assisted in suicide by those caring for them."

The debate on the ordination of women as bishops, one of the most controversial issues at the Synod, is to be discussed today.