Slovenia: religious leaders on assisted suicide, every life is valuable, no distinction between “worthy” or “unworthy” human life

“Every society shows its humanity by helping the vulnerable, the sick, the elderly and the suffering in every way, so that every member of society, despite illness and ageing, may one day live their death in peace”, reads the joint statement issued by religious leaders following “the attempt to introduce assisted suicide into the Slovenian legislation”. “We will certainly not help the suffering, especially the terminally ill, by offering them – even at the legislative level – any ways to end their lives earlier. In doing so, we are simply introducing a distinction between ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ human life”. “Any act of deliberately ending our own life or the life of another is the complete opposite of what we should strive for as a society - to respect and care for every human life. From both an ethical and a religious point of view, such an act is inadmissible, and the introduction of the possibility of assisted suicide means a social abandonment of care for the most vulnerable”. “Instead of introducing the idea of voluntary death into society – they add -, we should invest resources in preventing the desire to die when it arises from suffering in illness or at the end of life”. Also, “every terminally ill person should receive the best and most comprehensive physical, emotional, social, religious and spiritual palliative care possible. Palliative medicine provides comprehensive and effective support to suffering patients and their families, even when the disease cannot be cured”.
Valentina Bombelli