The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has warned against the “dangerous” idea of assisted dying, which provides the terminally ill in England and Wales the right to end their lives. The head of the Church of England said that it would create a “slippery slope” whereby more people would be medically forced to end their lives. He referred to a marked degradation of the idea that everyone is equal, saying the disabled, elderly, and ill were often overlooked. Welby called for better palliative care and questioned the motives of those who backed assisted dying. The suggestion is likely to find its way before parliament for the first reading.
Despite the difference in opinion, Welby remains unconcerned that the Church of England’s views are considerably out of step with that of the public as a whole. Secular groups have called to remove religion from the assisted dying debate and for senior bishops to lose their right to vote on legislation, particularly in the House of Lords. Archbishop Welby believes that introducing this legislation will only open up the way to broaden out the issue such that individuals who are not terminally ill will feel pressured to ask for it. By doing so, those who do not have the terminal illness may feel guilty and become pressure-ridden to have their lives ended medically.
In response to the legalisation of assisted dying, Cardinal Vincent Nichols cautions his followers and urges them to write to their MPs to express their opposition to assisted dying. Because the Church of England is the “established Church” in England, it has the privilege of having 26 bishops and archbishops with seats in the House of Lords who can influence legislation. Assisted dying is one of the issues where secular groups have brought into question the Church of England’s presence and influence over matters of state. In the last vote on assisted dying at General Synod, only 7% of the Church of England’s national assembly expressed their support for legalising assisted dying. Over the past few years, however, polls have indicated that a majority of the public supports legalising assisted dying.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has been a priest for 30 years and has sat with people at their bedside during their final moments. Based on his pastoral experience, he warns against a slippery slope of broadening out assisted dying to those who may feel pressured to ask for it. The Archbishop, therefore, calls for better palliative care, which affirms the value of every person, especially the terminally ill, elderly, and disabled
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