euthanasia – Catholic Commission for Social Justice

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI

I am in London at the moment and have been involved in discussions about an official report that has revealed that “the annual number of euthanasia cases across all age groups has multiplied almost fivefold in ten years. The practice was legalised in Belgium in 2003—a year after the Netherlands. While the Netherlands does not allow children under 12 to choose death, Belgium’s decision in 2014 to extend its euthanasia laws to all minors provoked outrage in the country and internationally. Many religious groups argued the country’s laws ‘trivialise’ death and went a ‘step too far’.”

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ

“Your body…is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God. You are not your own property: you have been bought and paid for. That is why you should use your body for the glory of God.” 1 Cor 6:19-20

CCSJ urges you to get ready to observe Respect For Life Week (November 12-19) on the theme: Respect Life: Promote Justice.

Today there is a lack of respect for human life. Read Susan Yoshihara’s report: “UN considers Euthanasia and New Treaty on Aging” (30 Sept, 2011): www.lifenews.com. Participants at a recent UN meeting considered the fact that “the world will have 2 billion elderly people by 2050, up from 600 million in 2002. According to UN projections, the percentage of elderly in almost every country is rising faster than ever before.”