New Zealand: Report on referendums, youth suicide, vaccine ethics

Source: Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand

The Nathaniel Report published by the Catholic bishops' of New Zealand Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics, include scrutiny of the euthanasia and cannabis referendums being held at the same time as the October 17 general election.

Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, this issue is being published electronically, though printed copies will still be available in parishes and other usual places.

In one article, Dangerous and Unwise, Nathaniel Centre director John Kleinsman describes flaws in the End of Life Choice Act 2019 that is the subject of one of the referendums.

Readers are offered resources to help them with both referendums, providing background information, key issues and information to consider when deciding how to vote.

In another article, Victoria University education lecturer Chris Bowden shares insights from in-depth research he carried out with young men who lost close friends through suicide. He conveys the different kinds of silence the young men described, and the different roles these silences played in their grief.

And equally topically, Australians Kevin McGovern and Kerri Anne Brussen look at the historical origins of vaccines and ask a critical moral question: "How would we respond if the only viable vaccine for Covid-19 was based on a cell line that used cells derived from aborted foetuses?"

LINKS

Nathaniel report 61: www.catholic.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Nathaniel-Report-61-FINAL.pdf

The Nathaniel Centre: www.nathaniel.org.nz