Seven Christian bishops based in Melbourne have asked the state premier to reconsider the proposed legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia. The Most Rev. Philip Freier, Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, is among the seven leaders who published an open letter to Premier Daniel Andrews as an ad in the daily Herald-Sun.
“Human dignity is honoured in living life, not in taking it,” the Christian leaders wrote. “Even though an act of euthanasia or assisted suicide may be motivated by a sense of compassion, true compassion motivates us to remain with those who are dying, understanding and supporting them through their time of need, rather than simply acceding to a request to be killed. It is right to seek to eliminate pain, but never right to eliminate people. Euthanasia and assisted suicide represent the abandonment of those who are in greatest need of our care and support.”
The open letter comes as Victoria’s parliament prepares to consider a bill that would allow Australian citizens or permanent residents, older than 18 and living in Victoria, to request assisted suicide if they have an advanced and incurable illness, disease, or medical condition. If the parliament approves the measure, it would take effect in 2019.
Adapted from ACNS
Open Letter Premier Euthanasia by TheLivingChurchdocs on Scribd
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
