Portugal inches towards decriminalisation euthanasia

The Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees voted in favour of the new draft. The text is based on several bills which aim at extending the cases in which euthanasia and assisted suicide is allowed, Ecclesia writes.

Currently, euthanasia is only allowed in situations where death is imminent. However, if the Portuguese Parliament passes the new amendment on Friday, self-determined death is also permitted in the case of an incurable illness or disability.

Exposed

Roman Catholic bishops of the Episcopal Conference in Portugal criticise the course of events. They express their opposition in a statement to a “more permissive system”, Ecclesia reports. "When God's commandment says "thou shalt not kill", we are all protected", they write. "When the law of men allows the State to take life, we are all exposed."

According to the bishops, human dignity should also be guaranteed at the end of life. They point out that this does not happen by giving people the right to ask for death. Instead, they plead for a guarantee of the best care to avoid suffering.

Eliminate people

The process of legalising self-determined death has been ongoing for a while in Portugal. In November 2021, the President of the country vetoed the legalisation of euthanasia and medically assisted suicide. After that, new proposals were put forward, and the issue was originally to be voted on, on November 30.

Isilda Pegado, President of the Portuguese Federation for Life, said to Ecclesia that there is a "political and ideological obsession to approve this draft." She points out that several prominent people wrote opinion articles against the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Yet, the government is pushing the legislation, she notices. Pegado speaks of "the insistence of an ideology to eliminate people".