No to medically-assisted suicide

“Europe is the land where Christianity flourished, generating a form of humanism enjoyed by the whole world. But unfortunately today we witness the determination to separate it from the vital lymph of the Gospel”, said cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, in the prolusion that opened the 65th General Assembly in the Vatican on May 20 (ongoing until May 24). Protecting human life. “The recent recommendation of the European Court of Human Rights on the right to resort to assisted suicide – said the president of Italian bishops -, once more testifies to the project of a relation-less society where each individual is left to himself, in the name of self-determination. Saying ‘no’ to euthanasia and ‘no’ to medically-assisted suicide – and with horror we also hear news of cases of infanticide – means saying ‘yes’ to life and to love”. Along this horizon, His Eminence warned, the urgent need to recover from the economic downturn “should not overshadow the delicate realm of the coming to the world of human life. This open realm is always exposed to the risk of further aberrations”. Cardinal Bagnasco called upon the Christian community and upon all those who recognize the evidence of human life in all of its stages, deserving greater protection to the weak and defenseless, to “be always vigilant”. For this reason, he recalled, referring to the European campaign “One of Us”, Italian bishops “firmly support the initiative of the Life Movements in Europe for the collection of a significant number of signatures with the purpose of asking European institutions to recognize ‘the legal status of the embryo’ and stop funding experiments on human embryos”. His Eminence recalled the words addressed by Pope Francis to the participants in the “March for Life” on May 12, who gathered for the Holy Father’s Regina coeli prayer: “I am pleased to recall the signature-collection drive currently underway in many Italian parishes, in order to support the European “One of Us” initiative to ensure legal protection to the embryo, protecting every human being from the first moment of existence”. Words of gratitude to Pope Francis. The opening remarks conveyed the Italian Church’s thoughts and the feelings of gratitude to Pope Francis “for having received with love the word that Jesus spoke to Peter on the shore of the sea: ‘Feed your flock the way’ and the memory of the unexpected historical renunciation of Pope Benedict XVI”. “The Church and whole world turn their glance to Rome”, said Cardinal Bagnasco referring to “numerous international meetings with the Holy Father scheduled to take place” in the coming months along with the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, “the first Day led by Pope Francis in his own continent”, which represents “an occasion for confession and proclamation of faith by young people to their peers”. His Eminence addressed the situation in Italy in the framework of “the ongoing serious crisis afflicting Europe and the rest of the world, and after significant institutional events”, calling upon the faithful to “overcome clichés of action and thought” and to go “against the tide”. “After the outcome of the polls citizens have the right to know that those elected in places of honour and responsibility to serve the Country will do so shunning distractions, tactics or strategies”, His Eminence said. The family, human rights, Christians’ persecutions. Cardinal Bagnasco highlighted the central role of the family, which is still lacking “dedicated short-term policies”, The family “is a universal good and to demolish it is a crime; it is rooted in the nature of man and woman while children have a legal status that nobody can deny”. The family, warned Cardinal Bagnasco “must not be weakened and humiliated by similar units that are a breach of the family’s specific identity, and which are not necessary to protect individual rights already largely envisaged in legal systems”. The demographic problem is also a matter of serious concern, “which in some European countries was addressed with measures that delivered good results”. At global level, His Eminence underlined “the precarious situation of brothers and peoples caused by natural disasters or armed conflicts” and the “serious violations of human rights in many areas of the globe, notably the persecution of Christians”, whose “plight continues – under the distracted eyes of the West – in Pakistan, where Asia Bibi already spent 1400 days in prison just for being Christian; the same in Nigeria and in other parts of the world”. His Eminence conveyed “the fraternal closeness to two Orthodox bishops in the hands of the rebels in Syria, where also an Italian journalist from La Stampa was reported missing”.