Pictured (left to right): Anthony Horan, Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office; Bob Doris MSP, SNP member for Maryhill and Springburn; James Bundy, Conservative Councillor, Falkirk Council; Sue Webber, Conservative member for Lothian Region, Archbishop Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and Mark Griffin MSP, Labour member for Central Region.

Archbishop highlights dangers of Assisted Suicide in Holyrood

Archbishop Leo Cushley was at the Scottish Parliament today to highlight the dangers to vulnerable people of legalising assisted suicide.

He met with MSPs from the three largest parties ahead of a Spring vote on the Assisted Dying (Terminally Ill Adults) Bill.

All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament are being given a special scroll which highlights heartbreaking cases where vulnerable people have either died as a result of an assisted death or have been offered it instead of care, including:

·                     A Canadian cancer patient offered assisted death ahead of her successful surgery for a mastectomy.

·                     A physically healthy 29-year old Dutch woman who was euthanised  after struggling with mental health issues.

·                     An 86-year-old Australian man who, after waiting in hospital for ten months for home care to be arranged, opted for an assisted death.

Archbishop Cushley said: “I was pleased to meet MSPs from different parties who are very concerned about the Assisted Dying Bill.

“There are arguments in favour of choice, and in a democracy we have to consider them. But more importantly we must have a special concern for the poorest and the weakest in our society.

“In other countries where this has taken place, they are the ones to suffer, they have been the ones who have died as a result of this.”

Mark Griffin, Labour MSP for Central Region, said: “The proponents of legislation talk about ‘a choice’, but I have a real concern that a choice becomes an obligation.

“People may feel that they are a burden on society or their families, when that couldn’t be further from the truth; people want to look out for their family, they want to look out for their loved ones, and any kind of societal change that flips that perception needs to be avoided at all costs. That’s a real danger in this legislation.

“There are no safeguards strong enough to protect the most vulnerable in society. This Bill will put them at risk.”

You can read the full scroll, below.