Bishop Nicholas Hudson has called on Catholics in the Diocese of Plymouth to speak up to oppose assisted suicide.
A Private Members’ Bill on assisted suicide has been reintroduced to the House of Commons. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will have its Second Reading and vote on Friday, 11 September 2026. Archbishop Richard Moth, President of the Bishops’ Conference, explains our strong opposition to this legislation. “This bill is wrong in principle. It is also deeply flawed, and, if passed, could lead to vulnerable people feeling pressured into ending their lives.”
Bishop Nicholas urges people to write to their Member of Parliament, saying:
“I am deeply concerned that the Bill to legalise assisted suicide is being re-introduced to Parliament. The dignity and protection of human life is central to our Faith. Pope Leo XIV has spoken of the God-given dignity of every human life, and that a full understanding of this dignity leads to recognizing the importance of safeguarding human life from its beginning at conception until natural death. We want to build a society in which the vulnerable, the suffering and the forgotten are always met with compassion, solidarity and love.[1]
This Bill does nothing to protect human dignity and risks putting elderly and vulnerable people under pressure to end their lives. I welcome Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s argument that assisted suicide should not be debated until the funding of palliative and social care has been fully addressed. This a case I would urge Catholics and all people of goodwill to impress upon their MP. I ask that we unite in prayer and compassionate action to oppose this legislation. Even if you’ve written to your MP before, please write again now.”
Please contact your MP now as a matter of urgency. Resources are available here on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference website.
[1] https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/letters/2026/documents/20260625-lettera-anniversario-usa.html