Scottish Archbishop welcomes rejection of assisted suicide bill

Archbishop Mario Conti

Archbishop Mario Conti has welcomed the Scottish Parliament's rejection of The End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill. The proposed legislation, introduced by Independent MSP Margo McDonald, would have paved the way for assisted suicide. It was strongly rejected by SMPs last Wednesday, by 85 votes to 16 and with two abstentions.

Archbishop Conti said: "It will be no surprise that I am very satisfied at the outcome of the vote on the End of Life Assistance Bill – I have long argued that the proposed bill was wrong in principle. It would, had it been successful, have breached the absolute prohibition in law on the taking of innocent life or assisting in doing so. Compassing another’s death is fundamentally wrong.

"The debate in the Scottish Parliament was by all accounts dignified and serious. The Parliament deserves great credit for this.

"I hope, that we can be spared further parliamentary pressure on this account and turn our best efforts to the care of the dying. Dignity is not reserved to those who choose to end their own lives prematurely; it is found in a community’s care for those who most need it."

Source: Archdiocese of Glasgow