With an Italian referendum looming, the Pope condemns euthanasia

Due to many amendments, over 200 were filed, the House agreed to postpone the debate of the law on assisted suicide to March of this year. The bill’s initiators want to regulate assisted suicide and allow terminally ill patients to seek assisted suicide through the national health system. The bill would also protect doctors from any legal suits against them.

On the day of the debate, the Pope criticised the bill. He rejected any form of assisted suicide. “This is inhumane”, the Pope said, according to Catholic News. “This is not helping them; this is pushing them more quickly toward death.”

According to the Christian Portuguese news website Agencia Ecclesia, Francis stressed that no one could avoid death. One must help to “die in peace”, stressing that “after having done everything humanly possible to cure the sick person, therapeutic incarceration is immoral”.

In the House, views are opposed. According to the Christian Italian daily Avvenire, practically the whole centre-right opposes the text in the bill. However, it does not have a majority in parliament.

Referendum

While the debate on euthanasia is halted, a referendum on assisted suicide looms. On February 15th, the Constitutional Court will decide whether it may be held.

The Luca Coscioni Association, which promotes freedom of science, requested the referendum. It proposes to “cut out” article 579 of the penal code, which is dedicated to the end of life. In this article, it says that “whoever causes the death of a man, with his consent, is punished with imprisonment from six to fifteen years.” The association argues that this makes assisted suicide very difficult. It, therefore, wants to abolish it.

Over 1 million people, more than double the number needed, signed a petition to request a petition.

According to Italian daily la Repubblica, those who are against the referendum argue that an intervention on article 579 can lead to an excessive expansion of the suicide aid through the intervention of a third person. In this case, the help could turn into a real initiative of the third party, albeit with the consent of the person who wants to die.

Press agency Reuters reports that a poll by the SWG research group in 2019 showed 92 per cent of Italians who were asked said they were in favour of allowing assisted suicide and euthanasia. Some 45 per cent said they favoured it generally and 47 per cent were in favour in certain situations.