Slovenia: religious leaders on assisted suicide, “unprecedented ethical dilemmas. Be close to those who suffer”. No therapeutic obstinacy

“Our time is marked by ethical dilemmas never before faced by humanity. The bill on voluntary end of life in Slovenia gives rise to the concern in every human being to be able to live a peaceful end of their life”. Thus begins a long joint statement released by several religious denominations in the country “in the wake of the attempt to introduce assisted suicide into the Slovenian legislation”. The document is signed by the Pentecostal Church, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, the Islamic Community in the Republic of Slovenia, the Jewish Community, the Catholic Church, the Macedonian Orthodox Church, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. “Despite advances in medicine - the statement reads -, the fact remains that humans are subject to ageing, disease and suffering, and inevitably to death. It is necessary to realise that all this is part of the whole of human life. Humanity is always looking for an answer to the question of suffering, especially now that medicine is able to prolong life, and sometimes even death and suffering”. The representatives of religions note that “it is always necessary to make sure that the various therapeutic interventions really serve to heal. Every human being can opt out of those treatments that would not eliminate their suffering and illness, but would only prolong their agony. Every effort must be made to help those who suffer relieve their pain, to be close to them and to give them all the support they need – be it medical, religious or emotional. Every effort must also be made to ensure that everyone, both the people closest to the vulnerable person and society as a whole, is ready to participate in this accompaniment”.
Valentina Bombelli