THE Bishops of the Church in Wales have joined other faith leaders in urging the Senedd to withhold legislative consent to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. “Wales deserves better than this proposed legislation,” they wrote in a statement released last week.
“Wales has a long and proud tradition of compassion and of valuing the dignity of every human life. True compassion does not mean ending a life. It means accompanying those who suffer, easing their pain, supporting families, and ensuring that no one feels abandoned, a burden, or without worth,” the statement continued.
The 300-word document opposes the Government’s plan and “the serious implications it would have for Wales”. It asks people of faith to write to their Senedd member before the Legislative Consent Motion is debated on Tuesday.
The statement was co-ordinated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. The signatories include the Bishops of the Church in Wales, and representatives of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh communities, the Free Church, and the Evangelical Alliance in Wales
The faith leaders set out their concerns, with reference to a shared “common heritage of caring for the vulnerable, the sick and dying”.
“If this bill is implemented in Wales, many will feel insecure about the future and conclude that they are a burden on loved ones and the health service. Cherishing life means building a society where nobody is seen as a burden. We must treasure and value the vulnerable, the sick and the dying among us.”
The Welsh faith leaders referred to the “need to promote excellent palliative care, including support for the hospice movement. Wales has a long and proud tradition of compassion and of valuing the dignity of every human life. True compassion does not mean ending a life. It means accompanying those who suffer, easing their pain, supporting families, and ensuring that no one feels abandoned, a burden, or without worth.”
In the last Census, in 2021, 43.6 per cent of people in Wales reported their religion to be Christian, a 14-per-cent increase increase from the previous Census, ten years before. The “No religion” respondents increased by 14.5 per cent, in comparison with England and Wales overall.