Archbishop Mark O‘Toole’s Pastoral Letter on Assisted Suicide – April 5/6 2025
As the UK Parliament considers a crucial and controversial piece of legislation – the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – Archbishop Mark has issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics, and all people of goodwill, to speak up.
The bill seeks to legalise assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, a move the Catholic Church opposes both on moral and practical grounds. In his letter, Archbishop Mark reminds us that “every human life is sacred, coming as a gift of God and bearing God-given dignity.” This foundational belief underpins the Church’s principled objection to assisted suicide, and he warns that the bill “elevates… the autonomy of the individual above every other consideration.”
But the Archbishop’s message is not just one of moral principle. He expresses deep concern about the way in which the bill has been handled in Parliament. He points out that this complex and far-reaching piece of legislation has not been subject to the usual thorough scrutiny: “It is a private member’s bill… published just days before MPs voted on it, giving them inadequate time to consult or reflect upon it.” Furthermore, the committee that examined the bill heard evidence for only three days, and not all voices were included in the discussion.
Archbishop Mark also highlights the potential consequences of this legislation, questioning whether adequate safeguards exist to protect the vulnerable, and whether the National Health Service is prepared for such a shift in medical practice. He asks pointedly: “What will protect the vulnerable from coercion or from feeling a burden on their families?… Would this mean, in effect, the establishment of a national death service?”
Instead of pursuing assisted suicide, the Archbishop calls for a renewed commitment to palliative care: “What is needed is first-class compassionate palliative care at the end of our lives… a good society would prioritise the care for the elderly, the vulnerable and the weak.”
The letter ends with a heartfelt plea to the faithful: even if you’ve written to your MP before, now is the time to do so again. “This is a deeply flawed bill with untold unintended consequences,” he warns. “Every MP and government has a solemn duty to prevent such legislation reaching the statute book.”
Drawing inspiration from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the Archbishop concludes with encouragement: “We, too, have many struggles… So we too, press on with this struggle too, so important in our times.”
Now is the time to speak out – in defence of life, in solidarity with the vulnerable, and in faithfulness to the Gospel.
Most Rev Mark O’Toole
Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia
