Archbishop O'Toole concerned at re-introduction of Assisted Suicide Bill

Archbishop Mark O'Toole

Source: Cardiff-Menevia Diocesan Office

Archbishop Mark O'Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia, has issued a statement in response to the announcement that the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is to be re-introduced to the House of Commons, where it is expected to be debated in the Autumn.

Archbishop O'Toole said: "It is immensely disappointing that the Bill to legalise assisted suicide is being re-introduced to Parliament. It does nothing to uphold the dignity of every person, or encourage investment in good palliative care, which is the best way to accompany those facing challenging situations at the end of their lives."

Archbishop Mark has consistently and repeatedly opposed assisted suicide legislation, both at Westminster and in the Senedd.
In November 2024, he joined the Catholic Bishops of England, Wales, and Scotland in a joint statement ahead of the Bill's Second Reading, calling for better-funded palliative care and warning that legalising assisted suicide risked placing vulnerable people under pressure to end their lives. The Bishops cautioned that international experience shows promised safeguards are frequently eroded once such legislation is introduced.

In April 2025, Archbishop Mark issued a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Cardiff-Menevia describing the Bill as "deeply flawed" and warning of its potential consequences for the relationship between doctor and patient, within families, and across the health service. He raised particular concern that the Bill had not been subject to adequate parliamentary scrutiny, that fundamental questions about safeguards remained unanswered, and that no guarantee had been given that its scope would not be extended over time. He urged Catholics to contact their MPs and ask them to vote against the Bill.

When the Bill passed the House of Commons, the Archbishop described the vote as "a dark day for our countries," warning it would "encourage a culture of death especially of the most vulnerable."

In January 2026, he joined Bishop Peter Brignall of Wrexham in a joint statement calling on Members of the Senedd to withhold legislative consent for the Bill.