Washington D.C., Dec 20, 2019 / 16:15 pm
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is encouraging members of Congress to support a continuing resolution criticizing assisted suicide as "deadly, discriminatory and non-compassionate."
"Assisted suicide fractures the human family by targeting its most vulnerable members, including the elderly and persons with disabilities, suggesting that their lives are not worth living," said a Dec. 20 statement signed by Archbishops Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas and Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City.
Naumann, who chairs the USCCB's pro-life committee, and Coakley, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, said it is necessary to "do what we can to uphold the dignity of life, cherish the lives of all human beings, and work to prevent all suicides."
"We urge the U.S. Congress to do all it can to protect Americans from this cruel practice, and to ensure those who are ill, disabled, or facing the end of life receive comprehensive medical and palliative care instead of a facilitated suicide," they added.