Archbishop Charles Scicluna is urging the people of Malta and Gozo to actively participate in the Government’s public consultation on assisted voluntary euthanasia. He emphasised that the people should cleary state that they not in favour of “assistance” that facilitates ending one’s life.
Instead, the Archbishop advocates for more investment in essential support services such as palliative care, a true expression of compassion that addresses suffering in all its forms: physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual.
The Archbishop’s message:
As you all know, the Maltese Government has launched a very important consultation on how we can support our brothers and sisters who are nearing the end of their lives. There are several options being considered. One of these is assisted euthanasia — where a person ends their life with medical assistance.
Another option is palliative care. What does this mean? It means providing the person with all the care and support they need as they approach the end of life. With the continuous progress of science and medicine, we have the means to relieve suffering and ensure no one is left alone in their final moments. But this does not mean that we kill them — or help them to kill themselves.
These are the two main paths before us. I encourage you to express your views and to do so clearly and thoughtfully.
Personally, I believe we should support our authorities — the Maltese Government — in their efforts to ensure we have excellent palliative care, care that can serve as a model for others. Let us work to make it exceptional, rooted in compassion and dignity.
At the same time, I urge you not to choose the path of premature death — whether that means someone takes their own life, is helped to do so, or is euthanised. Let us choose care, not killing; presence, not abandonment; life, not death.