H.E. the Most Revd Dr JEROME L. H. Lloyd D.D. o.s.J.V. F.R.S.A.
TITULAR ARCHBISHOP OF SELSEY

It is with profound sorrow and grave alarm that I condemn the decision of the House of Commons to pass the Assisted Dying Bill at its second reading. This legislation represents not just a legal but a moral failure of immense magnitude, striking at the very heart of our shared principles of compassion, justice, and the sanctity of human life.

By approving this Bill, Parliament has embarked on a dangerous and deeply troubling path. It has chosen to legitimize the intentional ending of human life, creating a precedent that diminishes the inherent dignity and worth of the most vulnerable members of our society. This is a betrayal of the trust placed in our lawmakers to protect the weak, the sick, and the marginalized, not to enable their destruction.

The claim that this Bill introduces safeguards against coercion and abuse is hollow in the face of evidence from other jurisdictions. In countries like Canada and Belgium, where similar legislation was introduced with “strict criteria,” the scope of assisted dying has expanded to include those with mental illnesses, disabilities, and non-terminal conditions. This so-called “slippery slope” is not hypothetical—it is a documented and undeniable reality. What begins as an exception rapidly becomes the norm, and the most vulnerable are left increasingly exposed to exploitation and despair.

This Bill does not address suffering; it exploits it. Instead of investing in comprehensive palliative care and end-of-life support, it offers death as a solution. It normalizes the idea that some lives are less worth living and shifts the burden of suffering from society to individuals, encouraging them to choose death rather than receive the care and dignity they deserve.

Moreover, this legislation fundamentally corrupts the doctor-patient relationship by turning healers into agents of death. The Hippocratic Oath, which has guided medical ethics for millennia, unequivocally rejects the taking of life. Legalizing assisted dying undermines the trust that patients place in their doctors, transforming an act of healing into an act of harm.

I urge all Members of Parliament and society at large to resist the dangerous and misguided ideology underlying this Bill. True compassion does not kill; it heals, supports, and uplifts. Instead of accepting this betrayal of our moral duty, we must demand investment in palliative care, advocate for resources to support the vulnerable, and recommit ourselves to the inviolability of human life.

This is not the end of the debate, nor the end of our fight. The passage of this Bill is a call to action for all who value life and dignity. As this legislation progresses through Parliament, I implore lawmakers to reflect deeply on the irreversible harm they risk inflicting on the fabric of our society. Let us not become a nation that abandons its most vulnerable under the guise of choice.

I stand firm in opposition to this Bill and I urge a recommitment to the principles that have long guided our society: the inviolability of human life, the provision of compassionate care, and the unwavering support for the vulnerable. Let us strive to build a society that truly reflects these values, offering hope and dignity to all.

Concerning the “Ministers’ Consultation Response”

Trans toolkit feedback

The WPATH Files | ‘One of the Biggest Medical Scandals of the Century’

The WPATH files exposed: confirmation of experimentation on vulnerable children

Address to Free Speech Union, Brighton

Transgenderism – gender ideology

“Omnium hominum”: a pastoral epistle on chastity and sexuality

Join the Old Roman Apostolate: Embrace Tradition, Grow in Holiness!