"End-of-life care is a sham. In France, they want to legalise lethal injection"

Rome. “Our Western societies are committing suicide, not only because they are having fewer and fewer children, but also because they are planning the elimination of the most vulnerable people, who are regarded as a burden on a society in which efficiency and well-being prevail. Helping people to live costs more than helping them to die.” Monsignor Marc Aillet, Bishop of Bayonne, did not mince his words in a conversation with Il Foglio following the French Parliament’s vote on ‘end-of-life’ legislation. The bishop pointed out that “public support for a law that is gravely contrary to the Church’s moral teaching poses a real problem of ecclesial coherence” and wrote that “talking about ‘assistance in dying’ is hypocritical: the real aim is to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia”. What has happened in France?

“In fact, the terms ‘assisted suicide’ and ‘euthanasia’ have been prudently omitted from the text of the draft law on ‘assistance in dying’, which has just been definitively approved, by a narrow majority, by the National Assembly at its third reading. This demonstrates a fear of the impact these words might have on public opinion and on the relationship of trust between healthcare professionals and patients. But this is pure hypocrisy, because what they wish to legalise is precisely the lethal injection which, under the pretext of alleviating intractable suffering, constitutes an act deliberately intended to cause death”. In practice, says Monsignor Aillet, “it is as if, faced with a man who, in a moment of despair, were about to throw himself out of a window right before your eyes, you were to help him by pushing him into the void. It may seem a simplistic comparison, but it is effectively what has just been voted for by the majority of MPs. It seems to me that the government’s push – whose agenda was known from the very start of this presidential term – the lack of critical scrutiny by many MPs regarding a complex piece of legislation, and the unilateral pressure exerted by powerful lobby groups that have been active for years, have prevailed over the hesitations of numerous MPs who, in their own words, voted ‘according to their conscience’, whilst ignoring the warnings issued by healthcare professionals directly involved, the vast majority of whom are opposed to assisted suicide and euthanasia. There was a refusal to listen to those who, with recognised professional expertise and extraordinary dedication, work daily in palliative care.”

Monsignor Marc Aillet replies: “We find ourselves in a state of complete contradiction. On the one hand, as in France, the right to abortion is enshrined in the Constitution, and medically assisted reproduction without a father and surrogacy are promoted for same-sex couples who wish to have a child. The child is no longer regarded as possessing intrinsic dignity, prior to any recognition by society: instead, the child is subordinated to the desires of adults or to parental plans. Thus, a new form of slavery is established, democratically, which produces a class of ‘sub-humans’. The argument of compassion is merely a façade: this is a deliberate political choice, underpinned by an ideology of death and base economic calculations. Consumerist individualism prevails throughout the West: the freedom to enjoy life without limits. But this freedom will never truly be accessible except to the wealthiest; the poor, under the pressure of this culture encouraged by the legislator, will end up stepping aside of their own accord – but with what ‘free and informed consent’?”

“There is no doubt that this long-running debate on end-of-life issues, with its many twists and turns since the start of this five-year term, has seen an extraordinary mobilisation of Christian-inspired pro-life organisations. The bishops of France, too, have been more actively engaged than ever before, undertaking a genuine programme of education and awareness-raising to provide the faithful with in-depth information and to bring their full moral weight to bear, both in relation to the general public and through intensive lobbying and dialogue with parliamentarians and the government. The novelty – as Monsignor Aillet emphasises – is that the Catholic laity, through highly active organisations – Alliance Vita, Fondation Lejeune, Associations Familiales Catholiques… – has joined forces with associations of healthcare professionals and organisations representing people with disabilities, as well as with the Société Française d’Accompagnement et de Soins Palliatifs, which, as a competent body, has consistently made its viewpoint heard. Faced with the propaganda in favour of euthanasia – widely publicised in the media and state-funded, driven by organisations such as the ADMD and strongly backed by Masonic lodges – and faced, moreover, with a citizens’ convention almost exclusively dominated by euthanasia advocates, in which pro-life voices were neither heard nor taken into consideration, this was a battle of David against Goliath.”

“This campaign has succeeded in changing the stance of many parliamentarians: the Senate ultimately refused to vote on the bill, the number of MPs in favour of ‘assisted dying’ dwindled as the debate progressed, and it is likely that, without the race against time imposed by the government, the vote might have had a different outcome! Moreover, the overwhelming majority of healthcare staff – doctors, nurses and social care workers – are opposed to the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia; and public opinion, when surveyed objectively by polling organisations – that is, without presenting euthanasia as the only alternative to suffering – tends to reject ‘assisted dying’ and favours palliative care, universal access to which, despite having once again been unanimously approved by Parliament, is still not guaranteed. This is a long-term endeavour that is beginning to bear fruit and will ultimately prevail, because this is where reason and true compassion lie: that of healthcare professionals who devote themselves body and soul to the sick and the most vulnerable, particularly in palliative care units. They are truly credible, because they are in touch with reality, in contrast to the armchair and television studio ideologues who promote the ‘right to die with dignity’.”

“I note that, in the face of the various appeals to the Constitutional Council, the mobilisation shows no sign of waning and there is no sense of discouragement: the associations remain vigilant and are more committed than ever to supporting the most vulnerable, providing care and helping them to live out their lives to the very end!”

“It is indeed true that words no longer have the same meaning, even amongst some Catholics who are more open to the spirit of the world than to the teaching of the Magisterium. For them – and this is the atmosphere they breathe, steeped in what Pope Benedict XVI called ‘the dictatorship of relativism’ – human dignity is equated with absolute freedom: the freedom to decide on one’s own life and death, which nevertheless clashes with the impossibility of deciding when one’s life begins! It is clear to see what self-destruction such a conception of society leads to, in which the strongest inevitably end up prevailing over the weakest! For us, however, as the Second Vatican Council rightly recalled in its Pastoral Constitution "Gaudium et Spes", the dignity of the human person is linked to the notion of the ‘image of God’: man was created – and this does indeed impose a limit upon him – in the image of God, which confers upon him an eminent dignity. Indeed, within the framework of his nature—which he did not create for himself but received from the Creator—he is called by God to become like God, being endowed with intelligence, free will and his own capacity for action. This freedom is not indifferent to good and evil, but, as a faculty of reason and will, is rooted in man’s natural inclinations towards truth and friendship: we are free to love in truth, and we find our true selves only in the selfless gift of ourselves! By nature we are bound to and dependent on one another, and it is by freely embracing this original dependence that we experience the benefits of solidarity and brotherhood, especially alongside the most vulnerable: this is the hallmark of a civilisation worthy of the name!”.

“Suffering is a trial for everyone and, for us Christians, finds its ultimate meaning only in the mystery of Christ who died and rose again: it is through the cross – which we are often legitimately tempted to avoid – that Jesus Christ has saved us. Suffering evokes compassion in others; the suffering of another is, for each of us, a call to alleviate it both physically and morally, and, in this sense, it is no longer absurd! The outcome of suffering is certainly not always healing, but it is the victory of love given and received – through God’s grace and the active compassion of our loved ones – over meaninglessness, despair and death. With Christ, death is not a failure: it is overcome by the life that the Risen One promises and offers us. In this sense, it is wrong to speak of ‘end of life’ and ‘assistance in dying’: these expressions reflect the attitude of those who have no hope and do not believe in an afterlife. Accompanying someone to the end of life means drawing upon the life-giving forces within each of us; it means finding the source of love that is stronger than death! Palliative care professionals know this from experience: in the vast majority of cases, when a patient is relieved of pain and well cared for, they no longer ask for death.”

“Yes, it is true that the Pope has been invited to visit France by the very same President of the Republic who has made the promotion of the right to euthanasia and assisted suicide a point of honour, whilst being fully aware of the Church’s position, which Pope Leo XIV has already set out at length, particularly before the Spanish Cortes and probably also during the private audience granted to Emmanuel Macron last April: this borders on political schizophrenia! By the time the Pope sets foot on French soil, the law will already have been passed by Parliament, but the matter will be in the midst of appeals before the Constitutional Council, and the implementing decrees will not yet have been issued by the government or may be challenged before the Council of State. The Pope will still have complete freedom to speak, which is beyond doubt, as suggested by the theme of his journey: ‘That the world may have life’. We know that the Holy Father is due to address UNESCO in Paris and speak at the grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, where countless sick pilgrims and people with disabilities flock in hope. It is inconceivable that the Pope would not seize this opportunity to make a genuine appeal in favour of supporting the vulnerable right to the end, speaking out once again ‘with serenity and firmness’ against euthanasia and assisted suicide. I do not know what impact this might have on the government, but in the current context it will inevitably have a major impact on public opinion and will encourage many of the faithful and men and women of good will to continue fighting the good fight for life to the very end! After that, everything is entrusted to God’s grace!”.