Bishops said, “we are conscious that, all across Ireland, many families
are engaged day by day in accompanying loved ones who are terminally
ill. As an expression of our pastoral support, we have decided that
‘Care at the End of Life’ will be the focus of our annual celebration of
the Day for Life next June.
“Whenever serious illness comes to our door, we need our family members
and friends to stay close to us and to walk with us through ‘the valley
of darkness’. This can be an enormously difficult and challenging time
for families, but it can also be a very privileged time. Faced with the
reality of their own mortality, many people, young and old, discover
within themselves hidden reserves of faith, hope and love, which can
often be an inspiration to those who accompany them. In that privileged
time, there is an opportunity to express gratitude and to heal wounded
relationships.
“We are aware that, by contrast, our legislators are currently engaged
in discussing the legalisation of assisted suicide. This is presented
by some as a way of respecting the autonomy of a person for whom life
has become unbearable. In reality it is an abdication of the
responsibility of society to support people who are terminally ill and
their families, in living the final days and weeks of life as fully and
richly as possible. From our knowledge of what has happened in other
jurisdictions, it is also clear to us that the availability of assisted
suicide is very quickly extended to include people with all kinds of
life limiting conditions, including intellectual disability, whose
continued existence is perceived to be a burden on society.
“We take this opportunity to affirm the generosity and dedication of
healthcare professionals, including chaplains, in caring for people who
are terminally ill. The care they provide bears witness to the healing
that is possible even when there is no longer any possibility of a
‘cure’. We appeal, in the strongest possible terms, to all our
legislators, who are entrusted with the care of the common good, to
respect the integrity of healthcare as a service to life from conception
until natural death.”