Faith leaders in Wales have united to express the opposition to the legalisation of assisted suicide, and have urged the Senedd to vote against implementing it in the country.
The House of Lords is currently debating the controversial Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, passed by the Commons last year. There is every possibility that the Lords will block the measure, which was not in the Labour manifesto, or that parliamentary time will simply run out and the bill will fail by default.
The Senedd - formerly known as the Welsh Assembly - has no power to block the bill in Wales, should it pass in Westminster. However it does have the ability to withhold legislative consent. Such an event could provoke a minor political crisis and possible amendments to the bill relating to devolved policy areas. A vote is due to take place on 24 February.
An open letter by a group of faith leaders said, “If this bill is implemented in Wales, many will feel insecure about the future and conclude that they are a burden on loved ones and the health service. Cherishing life means building a society where nobody is seen as a burden.
“We must treasure and value the vulnerable, the sick and the dying among us. Across Wales we need to promote excellent palliative care, including support for the hospice movement. Wales has a long and proud tradition of compassion and of valuing the dignity of every human life.
"True compassion does not mean ending a life. It means accompanying those who suffer, easing their pain, supporting families, and ensuring that no one feels abandoned, a burden, or without worth.”
The letter was signed by, among others, Tim Rowlands of the Evangelical Alliance in Wales, Rev Dyfrig Rees of the Free Church Council of Wales, both the Anglican and Catholic Archbishops of Wales and representatives of the Sikh, Jewish, Islamic and Hindu religions.
