SW News: Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland said the term “assisted dying” was misleading. In a letter to the faithful on Sunday, he said the efforts to legalize euthanasia in the nation would send the wrong message across the whole of society that lives which entail physical and mental suffering, or severe physical disabilities, can be considered no longer worth living.

The prelate wrote, “This is not only wrong in principle – for no life is worthless – it could also have a terrible and tragic effect on vulnerable individuals at their weakest moments.”

Liam McArthur, a Liberal Democrat Member of the Scottish Parliament, is pushing the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults bill in the House. Opponents say the bill risks undermining the provision of palliative care for the dying and efforts to prevent suicide.

According to Archbishop Cushley, “If this law is passed, it will further erode how our society values human life, which has already been grievously weakened by legal abortion.”

He urged the people of Scotland to sign a petition to oppose the proposed legislation, saying it would further threaten the value Scottish society places on human life, “profoundly affecting how we treat those who are suffering and how we care for those who are dying.”

“Dying is, ironically perhaps, the most significant event of our lives, because it is in dying that we most clearly confront the fact that we are fragile creatures, dependent upon others, and that we are not ultimately in charge of our own destiny,” Cushley said.

In his letter, he stated that the introduction of legalized suicide would gradually diminish funding for hospices. “It is also likely to reduce investment in further important research into pain management,” the archbishop said.

Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, called the proposed legislation “dangerous” and said it will make the most vulnerable people, including the elderly and disabled feel like a burden and its safeguards will prove futile. The current law is the safeguard. We should be caring for people, not killing them.”

A previous attempt to legalize euthanasia in Scotland was defeated in the Scottish Parliament in 2015.