Those who opt for the “intrinsically evil” act of euthanasia cannot receive the sacraments or be accompanied by a priest at the moment of their death, the Vatican has said.
The Church is at war over assisted suicide, with a Dutch cardinal contradicting a Vatican official who himself disavowed Swiss Bishops’ guidelines on euthanasia.
“To accompany, to hold the hand of someone who is dying, is something that every faithful must promote as they must promote a culture that opposes assisted suicide”, a Vatican archbishop has declared.
The Bishops of Switzerland have instructed priests and pastoral workers not to be physically present at the moment of an assisted suicide.