Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, has spoken out against a bill that looks to legalize assisted suicide in the state, reiterating the church’s position that assisted death is never permissible.
Minnesota lawmakers are currently considering House File 1930 and Senate File 1813, collectively known as the End of Life Option Act. The legislation would legalize assisted suicide in the state. In an article titled, “It’s Not Your Life, It’s Not Your Death, It’s Not Your Choice,” Bishop Barron emphasizes his opposition to assisted suicide by countering many of the arguments often pushed by assisted death advocates.
“Some advocates of physician-assisted suicide will argue that autonomy over one’s body is of utmost importance for those who face the prospect of a dreadfully painful demise,” Bishop Barron writes. “But this consideration is largely beside the point, for palliative care is so advanced that in practically all cases, pain can be successfully managed.”
He adds, “The deeper point is this: Even if a dying person found himself in great pain, actively killing himself would not be morally justifiable. The reason is that the direct killing of the innocent is, in the language of the Church, ‘intrinsically evil’ — which is to say, incapable of being morally sanctioned, no matter how extenuating the circumstances or how beneficial the consequences.”
READ: Study: Assisted suicide can be painful, prolonged and inhumane
He also notes that though autonomy is touted as the “supreme value” in our culture, this is a misguided idea. “Authentic freedom is not radical self-determination; rather, it is ordered to certain goods that the mind has discerned,” he says.
Bishop Barron also takes issue with the idea that “safeguards” placed within the legislation will effectively restrict who can access assisted suicide.
He points out: “In many countries in Europe and in Canada, where physician-assisted suicide was approved in a similarly limited way, the restrictions on who can access it and the safeguards in place to prevent elder abuse, among other things, have been gradually lifted. In many of those places, the elderly, those with dementia, those experiencing depression or severe anxiety can all be candidates for this form of ‘treatment.’ Though the advocates of medically assisted suicide will deny it until the cows come home, this law places the entire state directly on the slipperiest of slopes.”
Bishop Barron ends with a call to action for everyone to stand up against the pervasive push towards assisted death, writing, “To those in other parts of the country, I would urge vigilance. If this legislation hasn’t come to your state yet, it probably will soon enough. If you stand for the culture of life, fight it!”
