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 Assisted Suicide

 

February

Update: very serious allegations of bias by the committee examining the Bill have arisen. These allegations are disturbing and if true (and we have no reason to doubt them) then they make a mockery of democracy and justice.

Please go to https://righttolife.org.uk/asbillaction . Please read the text and if you are as disturbed by these allegations as we are then please sign the petition. If enough of us protest about the abominable way this Bill is being pushed through then they can't ignore us so easily. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” (original author uncertain).

January

This is taken from an email from Right To Life. Please support them as much as you can:

As of 28th January 2025 the assisted suicide Bill is at the Committee Stage in Parliament, where a group of 23 MPs will examine the Bill in detail.

It is very important that the many risks and flaws with the Bill are brought to the attention of the Committee. By highlighting these concerns, we will help MPs understand the major problems with introducing assisted suicide and why they must vote against the Bill when it comes to Third Reading later in the year.

TAKE ACTION

The Committee has recently issued a call for written evidence. It is inviting people with relevant expertise or personal experience to submit evidence about the Bill and its proposals.

The Committee will begin considering evidence on 28 January.

If you have the appropriate expertise or personal experience, it is really important that you submit evidence. 

While there is no deadline for submitting evidence, we strongly advise doing so as soon as you can.

To find out if you fit the criteria to make a submission and learn how to make your submission, click the link below to access our guide on how to make a submission.

If you do not fit the criteria to submit evidence, there will be many more opportunities to help with ensuring this dangerous Bill is defeated at Third Reading. 

What you can do to help now is to forward this link https://righttolife.org.uk/SubmissionGuide on to anyone with relevant expertise or personal experience who is concerned about the Bill and encourage them to make a submission. If you need more information about identifying those who might qualify, the submission guide linked above provides further details.

 

Thought for the Week - Week Beginning 3rd February 2025

 

 

Last Wednesday, for my day off, I went for a lovely walk in the Newton area of the Trough of Bowland. It was a circular walk that led through the beautiful village of Slaidburn. This is an area that I had not visited for a few years, so I had forgotten how wonderful the area was. Just outside of the village of Slaidburn, the path passed through a short secluded woodland stretch  by a brook and amazingly I stumbled upon a single deer, which was a sight to behold. The path then took me to the edge of open country where I was able to appreciate the beauty and isolation of the Bowland Fells. Later on I caught up with a lovely group of 5 friends who were part of a walking group based in Morecambe and they allowed me to walk with them for a good mile or so back to Newton, where my car was parked. They took me a long a route that differed from my guide book which was great as it opened up  new possibilities for me. Most importantly it was great to have company for some of the way. 

On Sunday evening , I spontaneously ended up going with a friend to the lovely old cinema in Hebden Bridge  to see the new Bob Dylan film “A Complete Unknown”. I am a big fan of Dylan, but I particularly like his material from the mid 1970’s  whereas this film covered his early career from 1961 to 1965. However, the music, the cinematography, the acting in fact everything about the film is brilliant.  I was amazed at the huge crowd of people that filled the cinema that evening, and loved the fact that you can take mugs of tea or coffee into the cinema and there is plenty of leg room betywen the rows of seats. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and capped off perfectly a lovely weekend.  

On Tuesday morning we celebrated Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Even though it is an optional Memorial, I think it is very important to highlight this feast day. The feast recalls the encounters in 1858 with Our Blessed Lady and St Bernadette Soubirous, a poor 14 year old girl, just outside the village of Lourdes in the Pyrenean foothills.  Lourdes has over the years become an important place of pilgrimage and healing. If like myself you have been fortunate enough to visit Lourdes you will know it is a place  of centrality for the sick; its also a place of prayer and Reconciliation. At the Mass we sang a couple of hymns including  the Lourdes hymn “Immaculate Mary”; however it was remiss of me to omit the important 4th verse of this hymn:  

For poor, sick, afflicted,Thy mercy we crave;
And comfort the dying,Thou light of the grave!
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria! Ave, Ave Maria!

The feast day coincides for obvious reasons with World Day of Prayer for the Sick, so on this day we remember all those who are sick, infirm or in hospital and ask the care and love of Our Lady of Lourdes for them. As I recall the number of pilgrimages which I have made to Lourdes over the years, I give thanks for all the good people who I have got to know through these experiences. In this Jubilee Year, may Our Lady of Lourdes guide us as we journey as pilgrims of hope. 

After Mass on Tuesday, in my capacity as being part of the Diocesan Permanent Diaconate support team, I had arranged to meet an enquirer at the Irish Heritage Centre in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, however the arrangements went awry and the meeting unfortunately did not materialise. Nevertheless I am a firm believer in “every cloud having a silver lining; as I waited in hope, in the busy café for an hour or more, over good value tea and toast, for my appointment to arrive , a fellow customer called Joe originally from County Tipperary began a conversation with me. After a few minutes he realised I was a priest and we quickly spoke of people with whom we were mutually acquainted. Just prior to parting company, Joe asked my name and said he would remember it and hoped to see me again. In the evening, he had taken the trouble to look  up my email address and had sent me a lovely message along with a picture of himself and his dog. It could be the start of a good friendship. The Lord is always at work even when our plans do not work out as we expect.

I hope this reflection is of interest to you and I thank you very much for reading it, 

 

Fr David 

 

 

 


or click below for:

Saint(s) of the DayReadings at Today's Mass


(With thanks to universalis.com (Diocese of Salford calendar))

 

 

 

Assisted Suicide -

Disappointly, the death bill was passed today (29th November 2024) by Parliament but with a much smaller majority than many expected.

However, this insidious, immoral, wrong-headed Bill still has a long way to go through the House of Commons and then the House of Lords -

The fight isn't over - we'll publish the next steps you can take to oppose this dreadful Bill as soon as they become known; watch this space!

Meanwhile you might like to see actor and disability rights advocate Liz Carr's BBC documentary on assisted suicide, Better Off Dead? You can watch it for free by clicking the link below (you do not need a TV licence). It might give you some ideas about what you'd like to say to Oliver Ryan. 

 

Better Off Dead?

 

 

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