French Catholic hospitals refuse to participate in euthanasia: 'We relieve pain, but we do not kill'

Resistance to the culture of death is brewing in France. Leaders of 150 Christian hospitals and healthcare institutions have publicly declared that they will refuse to participate in the implementation of the law legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide. They outlined their position in an open letter to the country's authorities, published in the daily newspaper "La Croix," becoming a striking example of how faith and common sense can resist ideological pressure.

A thousand-year tradition against the death law

The letter's authors emphasize that their institutions are heirs to a thousand-year Christian tradition of caring for the sick. They clearly distinguish between alleviating suffering and killing: "We want to relieve pain, but not help kill." According to them, the new law poses a real threat that their institutions will be forced to perform procedures contrary to their Christian mission, so they have unanimously declared civil disobedience.

The letter's signatories warn of "violence against conscience" and "moral suffering" that workers would experience if forced to participate in acts contrary to their institutions' values. They also point to the danger that the law may suggest to the most vulnerable members of society that they are a burden to their loved ones and that their death would be "useful."

Palliative care – the only answer

The letter's authors recall that throughout their work they have faced the most difficult cases, yet they have always chosen palliative care rather than taking the patient's life. Their institutions, they say, serve the elderly, the chronically ill, and the disabled, and their goal is not only to reduce physical pain but also to help a person preserve dignity and meaning in life until natural death. They ask the authorities for "more resources, more freedom, and more recognition" to continue their mission.

Solidarity, support, palliative care, and constant medical progress will always be our answer.

Warnings about abuse

The law, finally adopted on July 15, has already been challenged before the Constitutional Council, but everything suggests that France will follow the path of Belgium and the Netherlands. It is warned that the so-called "freedom to die" could quickly turn into a "right to kill." The experience of other countries shows that such laws lead to abuse, relativization of the value of human life, and gradual expansion of their scope, especially at the expense of the chronically ill and those with intellectual disabilities.

Dr. Grégor Puppinck, director of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), called the draft law "a real highway to killing." He noted that the procedure could be carried out in less than three days, based on the decision of a single doctor, without an obligation to inform the family, and the request could be made verbally, without witnesses. The ECLJ seeks to protect institutions where euthanasia will not be performed and to defend the right of religious institutions to refuse to perform it. The organization submitted legal opinions to the Constitutional Council, signed by 37 renowned experts, including four former judges of the European Court of Human Rights, former European commissioners, and university professors.

The fight for freedom of conscience

This resistance by Catholic hospitals is an important sign that there are still forces in France ready to defend unchanging principles. Their civil disobedience is not rebellion but faithfulness to God's law and human nature. If the Constitutional Council does not ensure the freedom of religious institutions, the ECLJ promises to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. This struggle for freedom of conscience and the protection of life is an example for all of Europe, proving that Christian values are not outdated but are the only true foundation for a humane society.

Source: Vigilare.info — https://vigilare.info