Category: Campaigns

Cardinal Signs Multi-Faith Letter Opposing Assisted Suicide

Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Photo: CBCEW

Source: CBCEW

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, has co-signed a multi-faith letter ahead of the assisted suicide vote in parliament on Friday:

As leaders of faith communities we wish to express our concern at the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill, which will be debated by MPs on 29th November. We are aware of how complex and weighty this topic is. There are many dimensions to the bill, all of them of great ethical and practical importance. We hold in prayer all those across our country who may be personally affected, and our representatives in Parliament with profound decisions before them.

Part of the role of faith leaders in communities is to provide spiritual and pastoral care for the sick and for the dying. We hold the hands of loved ones in their final days, we pray with families both before and after death. It is to this vocation that we have been called, and it is from this vocation that we write.

Our pastoral roles make us deeply concerned about the impact the bill would have on the most vulnerable, opening up the possibility of life-threating abuse and coercion. This is a concern we know is shared by many people, with and without faith.

In the UK, it is estimated that 2.7 million older people have been subjected to abuse; many of these may also be vulnerable to pressure to end their lives prematurely. Disability campaigners and those working with women in abusive relationships have also highlighted the danger of unintended consequences should the law be changed. The experience of jurisdictions which have introduced similar legislation, such as Oregon and Canada, demonstrate how tragic these unintended consequences can be. Promised safeguards have not always protected the vulnerable and marginalised.

Even when surrounded by loving family and friends, people towards the end of their life can still feel like a burden. This is especially the case while adult social care remains underfunded. In this environment, it is easy to see how a ‘right to die’ could all too easily end in feeling you have a duty to die.

We are convinced that the current law provides much greater security for those who are vulnerable than the bill before Parliament. A bill which MPs will have had only three weeks to scrutinise before they vote on it. The most effective safeguard against life-threatening coercion or abuse is to keep the law as it is.

In supporting the state of the current law, we do not deny that some people experience a painful death, though we welcome the fact that these deaths are far less common than they used to be due to advances in palliative care.

Over decades we have witnessed how compassionate care, along with the natural processes of dying, allow those at the end of their life to experience important moments. We have seen relationships repair and families reconcile. We have seen lives end in love. Much can be lost by cutting these processes short.

We believe that a truly compassionate response to the end of life lies in the provision of high-quality palliative care services to all who need them. While there are many examples of excellent palliative care in this country, it remains worryingly underfunded. Investment in palliative care is the policy of a truly compassionate nation. It is the way to ensure that everyone in society, including the most vulnerable, receive the care they deserve at the end of life.

Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London and former Chief Nursing Officer;
Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop of Westminster;
Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.
Sayed Abdul Saheb Al-Khoei, Secretary General of Al-Khoei Foundation;
Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Church;
Imam Qari Asim, Chair of MINAB (Mosques and Imams Advisory Board);
Glyn Barrett, National Leader Assemblies of God;
Anil Bhanot, Managing Trustee of the Hindu Council UK;
Gavin Calver, CEO of Evangelical Alliance;
Malcolm Deboo, President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe;
Joseph Dweck, Senior Rabbi of the Spanish & Portuguese Sephardi Community;
Pinchas Hackenbroch, Chair of the Rabbinical Council;
Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE (Christian Action, Research and Education);
Trevor Howard, Executive Vice-Chair of the Board, Churches in Communities International;
Andrew John, Archbishop of Church in Wales;
Nikitas Lulias, Archbishop of Great Britain, Greek Orthodox Church;
Paul Main and Jenine Main, Territorial Leaders of The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland;
Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, Roman Catholic Church;
Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain;
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, Spiritual Leader & Chair, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha; Trupti Patel, President of the Hindu Forum of Britain;
Mark Pugh, General Superintendent of Elim Pentecostal Churches;
Mehool Sanghrajka, Chair of the Institute of Jainology;
Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, President of Sri Lankan Sangha Sabha of GB;
Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations UK;
Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism;
Mar Awraham Youkhanis, Bishop of London, Assyrian Church of the East.

Catholic Medical Association Statement on Assisted Dying

The president of the Catholic Medical Association, Dr Mike Delany has appealed to Members of Parliament to oppose legislation to bring in assisted suicide when the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is given its second reading on 29 November.

Dr Delany commented that assisting a person to end their own life is contrary to the Christian understanding of the sanctity of life and the role of medical practitioners and that it is also contrary to our understanding of the meaning of compassion. Compassion means to “suffer with” another person. It involves accompanying people, especially during sickness, disability and old age when we know that people are frail and vulnerable. Such accompaniment is the responsibility of all those who care for those who are suffering, including medical practitioners.

We believe it is wrong for doctors to help somebody to deliberately kill themselves and that such actions have no place in a compassionate society.

In common with many others, we see the dangers of the legalisation of assisted suicide for the future of palliative care and we also fear the progressive relaxation of the proposed safeguards. However, there are particular concerns for the medical profession.

This legislation has the potential to fundamentally change the relationship between doctor and patient. Doctors will be allowed to initiate a conversation about assisting patients to commit suicide if they meet the criteria. No doctor should be allowed to initiate a conversation that leads to him or her offering to help a patient kill themselves.

We reject entirely the language of the proponents of the bill who have suggested that assisted dying “does not shorten life, it shortens death.” This changes fundamentally how we think about people in the later stages of life who are very much alive and have a right to the care they need to live in dignity.

The conscientious objection clause proposed in the bill is very weak. Any doctor who refuses to participate in discussions about assisted suicide will be required to refer the patient to another doctor who will. This means that any doctor, upon qualification, will be required by law to co-operate in the deliberate taking of the life of another human being: if not in person, by referral to another doctor. No Catholic doctor could do that in good conscience.

We are concerned too for the Catholic hospices and care homes in which we work. It would seem likely that, if the bill becomes law, they will be required to co-operate with assisted suicide. This would create major problems for our Catholic care sector, which has genuine compassion at its heart, and it would undermine further the provision of palliative care in this country.

On these grounds, and on many others, I ask all Catholic healthcare workers to write to their MPs to oppose this bill.

Contact your MP

There is a simple online mechanism to contact your MP. It takes little more than a few minutes to input your postcode, make sure the suggested text suits your viewpoint and submit your message to ask your MP to stop assisted suicide being rushed into law.

Click here to contact your MP via the Right to Life UK website.

LINK

Catholic Medical Association: https://catholicmedicalassociation.org.uk/

November 26, 3.30pm: Invitation to Hear from Christians in Gaza

Join Pax Christi England and Wales, the Passionist Community, and Pax Christi International for an event aimed at amplifying the voices of the Christian community in the Holy Land, on Tuesday, 26th November at 3.30pm GMT (UK) / 5.30 PM Palestine Time.

Speakers:

Fr Gabriel Romanelli, IVE, Parish Priest of the Holy Family Parish, Gaza

Sami Al-Yousef, Chief Executive Officer, Latin Patriarchate, Jerusalem

As the war reaches its 416th day, Christians in the region face unimaginable hardships. Yet their unwavering faith remains a beacon of hope. This gathering provides us with the opportunity to hear directly from those enduring these harrowing times, as they share their struggles, hopes, and resilience.

Through the testimonies of Fr Gabriel Romanelli and Sami Al-Yousef, we will bear witness to the profound humanitarian and spiritual crisis affecting the Christian community in Gaza.

This event is more than a call to awareness: it is an invitation to act, to pray, and to stand in solidarity with those who continue to endure, love, and hope against all odds.

To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuf-GprjIqHdV1H-JscRszv_uYSJeL5Jgz#/registration

COP29 was Highjacked by Rich Countries says Christian Aid

Source: Christian Aid

In response to COP29’s final statement, Christian Aid has said: “People of the global south came to these talks needing a lifeboat out of the climate crisis. But all they got was a plank of wood to cling to.

“This summit has been hijacked by rich countries who have failed to negotiate in good faith. The cost of their actions here will be paid in the lives of vulnerable people on the front lines of climate breakdown.

“Developing countries are already responding day in and day out to the climate emergency, dealing with homes, crops and livelihoods destroyed due to droughts, storms and floods. They came here seeking solidarity and partnership to tackle a problem they didn’t create, but have left with scraps.

“Finance is the cornerstone of climate action. It is essential to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change. This level of funding simply won’t cut it.

“Rich countries knew they had all year to prepare for this meeting, where they were required by the Paris Agreement to agree a new finance goal that met the needs of the developing world. They have failed to do that with this paltry finance offer.”

LINK

Christian Aid: www.christianaid.org.uk/

Home Office Vigil Prayers – 18 November 2024

Barbara Kentish outside the Home Office 18 Nov 2024. Photo: Pat Gaffney

This month those gathered at the regular Prayer Vigil outside the Home Office remembered the following people who died a year ago, in November 2023, attempting to reach sanctuary in Europe:

DateDetails
?8 people from Gambia died of exhaustion during a 15-day boat journey from Gambia to the Canaries. Their bodies were thrown in the sea; 55 survived. 
3/11A boy died from exhaustion in hospital, having arrived at El Hierro (Spain) by boat from West Africa one day earlier; 83 survived.
4/11134 people from Senegal, including at least 3 children and 6 women, drowned when a Canaries-bound boat on the way from Senegal sank off Nouadhibou (Morocco);15 191 survived.   2 people died of unknown cause, their bodies found on board a boat during rescue off the Canary island of El Hierro. 2 others died on the way to hospital.   A man of 23 from Syria died, his body found by nature researchers in Białowieża Forest (Poland) near Narewka River at the Poland-Belarus border.
5/1115 people were presumed drowned off Nouadhibou (Morocco), missing from 7 canoes on the way from Senegal to the Canaries.   13 people, including 2 children, from sub-Saharan Africa died of hunger and thirst on the way to Spain, their bodies in state of decay found in boats off Nouadhibou.   A body, probably of a woman, wearing a white shirt & tied to a tire used as a life vest was found between rocks on the coast of Lampedusa (Italy).
6/11Dinh Anh Nguyen, a man of 37 from Vietnam, was hit by a train near Calais (France) while walking on railway tracks in the dark.   182 people from Guinea, Mali, and Senegal drowned off Gadaye (Senegal) on the way from Bargny (Senegal) to the Canary Islands (Spain). 87 survived.
8/1117 people from Algeria drowned when a boat went missing on the way to Murcia (Spain) after embarkation from Mostaganem (Algeria).   2 men, both aged around 30, drowned off Gadaye (Senegal) on the way to the Canary Islands, their bodies found at Diamalaye beach (Senegal); 87 survived.
9/11A body was found by the Spanish Civil Guard, after a boat from West Africa arrived south of El Hierro (Spain); 79 survived.   Mohammed Amine Saidat, a man of 26 from Morocco, was hit by a train in Bolzano (Italy) while looking for shelter for the night. He had camped near the site of his death.
10/11A man’s body was found by journalists while reporting in the Kupa Riverbed in Netretić (Croatia) on the Croatia-Slovenia border.
11/117 people, including an infant, drowned, their bodies recovered in the Mediterranean Sea off Sfax (Tunisia) by the Tunisian National Guard.   2 people from sub-Saharan Africa drowned on the way from Sfax (Tunisia) to Lampedusa (Italy) when they fell from a small boat when rescuers neared; 67 survived.
12/11A body was found by Belarus border guards in Belarus near the 82nd Belarusian pillar of the border fence with Latvia.   A man of about 30 from sub-Saharan Africa drowned off Gadaye (Senegal) on the way to the Canary Islands, his body found at Déni Guedj Nord beach (Senegal); 87 survived.   A man of 29 from Eritrea died of unknown causes on the way to Lampedusa (Italy), his body found on board a boat by Italian coast guards.
13/117 people from Liberia, Palestine, Syria and elsewhere, including a child and 2 women, drowned when a rubber boat on the way to Chios (Greece) sank in stormy weather off Cesme (Turkey); 6 survived.   Abdelbassit Mohammad, a man of 22 from Sudan, had his throat slit during a brawl between migrants under the Mollien bridge in Calais; his attacker fled.
14/1111 people from Algeria drowned in the Mediterranean sea, off Murcia (Spain) on the way from Mostaganem (Algeria).   16 people drowned when a boat hit rocks on the way from Senegal to the Canaries (Spain), their bodies found on a beach of Lagouera (Morocco).
15/11A person from Gambia died of exhaustion during a 15-day boat journey from Gambia to the Canaries, their body found during rescue; 55 survived.   19 people from Algeria drowned when a boat missing on the way to the Balearic Islands (Spain) after embarkation from Algiers (Algeria).
Mid Nov.A person died of unknown causes on the way from Africa to Lampedusa (Italy), buried in Palma on the island of Sicily.
16/1119 people from Algeria drowned when a boat went missing on the way to the Balearic Islands (Spain) after embarkation from Algiers (Algeria).
17/1135 people, including 2 children and 5 women, from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, drowned, when a boat capsized in high waves south of Guelmim (Morcco) on the way to the Canaries; 10 survived.   Baysal Recep, a man of 42, and Geçsöyler Mehmet Ali, a man of 37, both from Turkish Kurdistan, were hit by a truck and killed while walking on the emergency lane of the A16 near the Calais ferry terminal.   An Albanian man of 37 died in hospital after attempting suicide in Brook House removal centre in Gatwick in fear of deportation.
19/1118 people from north Africa went missing on the way to Alicante (Spain) after embarkation from Tipaza (Algeria).
20/11A girl of 2 from Guinea died of unknown causes on a rescue ship on the way to port after shipwreck off Capo Ponente (Italy); 43 survived   8 people from sub-Saharan Africa, including 2 children, drowned on the way from Sfax (Tunisia) to Lampedusa (Italy) after shipwreck off Capo Ponente (Italy); 43 survived.
21/11A woman of 36 drowned off Lampedusa (Italy) on the way from Sfax (Tunisia) when a metal boat sank during rescue; 46 people, including her sister, survived.
22/11Mulu Wolde Tsehaye, a woman of 34, and Eskiel Sebsbea Tsgaye, a woman of 37, both from Ethiopia, and a man named Aman, drowned when a Britain-bound boat capsized after leaving a beach near Equihen-Plage (France); 58 survived.
26/11Mikhail Zubchenko, a man of 24 from Russia, committed suicide after 14 months in Asylum Seekers Center in Echt (Netherland). He was a LGBT asylum seeker.
27/11A person from Egypt was found frozen to death in the outskirts of Sofia (Bulgaria), part of group of 10 migrants; 9 survived.
29/11A body was found on an inflatable boat during rescue off Gran Canaria (Spain); 50 survived.   2 people drowned, having been thrown into the sea near Cadiz (Spain) by traffickers using a fast drugs-smuggling boat from Morocco; 23 survived.

Service Sheet for the November 2024 Prayer Vigil

November 2024 Home Office Vigil.docxDownload

Sign up to receive email news & alerts of changes or cancellation at: homeofficevigil@gmail.com

Assisted Suicide Bill Panel Discussion at Farm Street, Sunday 24 November, 3-5pm

Is the Assisted Suicide Bill about Compassion, Giving Choice and Dignity? 

Calling All People of Faith and those of None. The Catholic Union and Farm Street Church have organised an important event on Sunday 24 November, 3-5pm at Farm Street Church, 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH.

Come and hear from experts in the field who have serious concerns about a possible change in the law. Our panel includes:

– Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE DL, multi gold medal winning paralympic athlete and advocate for disability rights

– Dr Matthew Doré, Consultant Palliative Care Physician

– Professor Julian Hughes, Former Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist

– Professor David Albert Jones, Professor of Bioethics.

Panel Discussion with some Q&A at the end. Livestreaming available by visiting www.farmstreet.org.uk/livestream

Book with Eventbrite

Please note that the event will be livestreamed, filmed, recorded and photographed.

COP29 – Faith Groups march in London

Faith representatives outside British Museum before the start of the march. Photo: ICN

Source: Jo Siedlecka, ICN

Faith groups were among thousands of climate justice campaigners who marched peacefully through central London on Saturday 16 November 2024, accompanied by colourful banners, chanting and drumming. They lobbied the UK government and world leaders to work towards climate justice, and to do it urgently. They included representatives of Christian Climate Action, Green Christian, Laudato Si Movement, Columban Justice, Peace and Ecology Team, Columban Sisters, Faithful Companion of Jesus Sisters, Quakers in Britain and Faith for the Climate Network.

The march was part of an annual Global Day of Action for Climate Justice which always takes place midway through the annual international United Nations Climate Conference, which this year is in Baku, Azerbaijan 11- 22 November. Other marches lobbied COP29 in 25 places across Britain, including Brighton, Southampton, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, and Glasgow.

The London march – organised by more than 60 groups – started at the British Museum, which has a £50 million partnership with the oil company BP. Speakers argued that the fossil fuel industry has no place in the arts. And the route was via the HQ of Azerbaijani oil company SOCAR, co-owner of the BTC pipeline with BP, which supplies nearly 30% of Israel’s oil.

At its end in Downing Street, a rally called for the UK government to end its reliance on fossil fuels and to commit to paying climate reparations…

Continue reading on Independent Catholic News

20 November 2024 – Red Wednesday Mass and Events at Brompton Oratory, London

Source: ACN

A special evening of prayer and music with guests and an Aid to the Church in Need award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 20 November at the Brompton Oratory, Brompton Rd, London, SW7 2RP.

The chief celebrant will be Bishop Nicholas Hudson.

The Oratory will be illuminated in red to shine a light on Christian persecution, giving hope to those suffering around the world.

#RedWednesday Programme – The Oratory, London

  • 6:30pm: Gathering below Church steps
  • Be part of the #RW show reel filming. Ahead of group photograph at 6:45pm.
  • 7:00pm: Holy Mass at The Oratory
    Please join us for sung Holy Mass to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer. Celebrated by Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster. Concelebrating will be Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, India and Monsignor Michael Nazir-Ali.
  • 8:10pm: #RW Award Presentation
    Presentation of ACN’s #RedWednesday Courage to be Christian Award. Followed by a short update on ACN’s ‘Persecuted & Forgotten?’ report and how you can help.
  • 8:30pm: Reception
    Enjoy refreshments and conversation with ACN staff and benefactors.
  • 9:30pm: Close

All are welcome. For more details and to book see  www.acnuk/redwednesday

New Finance Agreement needed at COP29 say Catholic and Anglican Bishops

Source: CAFOD

Fossil fuel companies should be taxed more to provide funds for countries on the frontline of the climate crisis, Anglican and Catholic bishops have told ministers.

In a letter to the government, the Rt Rev Graham Usher for the Church of England and Rt Rev John Arnold for the Catholic Church in England and Wales called for higher taxes on major polluters. The pair are lead bishops for environmental affairs in their respective churches.

The letter comes ahead of the start of the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan next week. Proposals to tax large polluters are expected to be included in negotiations at the summit on how to fill gaps in funding for developing countries hardest hit by the climate emergency – known as ‘international climate finance’.

Poorest communities ‘paying impossible price’ for climate crisis

Bishops Usher and Arnold argue in the letter that the funding gap means climate-vulnerable countries are “being forced to pay an impossible price for measures to protect their communities and rebuild from climate disasters”.

“The fact that those who have contributed least to causing the climate crisis, face an unaffordable bill for its impacts is an injustice we cannot tolerate as a country.

“We urge you to ensure your government plays the strongest possible role in remedying this injustice.”

Tax those ‘profiting from environmental damage’

Taxing polluting activities undertaken by the wealthiest companies and individuals would raise funds from those who are “profiting from environmental damage” and “help to incentivise the transition to renewables”, the bishops state.

The bishops also warn ministers that leaders at COP29 must agree to provide more climate finance as grants, arguing that loans will only “add to low-income countries’ existing and crippling debts”.

Providing further sources of finance by cancelling debts for countries facing a debt crisis would prevent such countries facing a “choice between paying huge interest bills to overseas lenders and paying to protect their communities from the climate crisis”, the bishops argue.

COP29 began in Baku, Azerbaijan on 11 November, and is due to finish on 22 November.

For background and information, see: CAFOD’s latest report on Climate Finance solutions (May 2024)

CAFOD Campaign News: Why is COP29 Important?

CAFOD Action: Email the Climate Secretary

16 November: Catholic Association for Racial Justice AGM, London

Source: CARJ

The Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ) Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday 16 November 2024 at 11.00am at St Thomas More Church, 9 Henry Rd, London N4 2LH. The theme is: ‘Practical steps for achieving the Racial Justice Agenda’. The event is open to all members and friends of CARJ

Papers for the AGM (including the Annual Report, the Accounts, papers relating to the Election of Trustees, membership forms etc) here – please notify CARJ if you would want hard copies of the papers sent to you.

Please keep an eye on the CARJ website over the coming weeks (here) for the names of nominated Trustees. There is also a form for you to nominate a trustee to CARJ.

Arrival and registration starts from 10.30am. The business meeting commences promptly at 11am followed by Mass, lunch, and an afternoon of talks and discussion relating to practical step for achieving Racial Justice.

Food and drink will be available across the day.

It is helpful, for catering purposes, to know in advance who is coming. If possible, please contact CARJ by phone- 020 8802 8080 or email- info@carj.org.uk beforehand. However, please feel free to turn up on the day even if you have not booked.

Directions: St Thomas More Church is a short walk from Manor House Underground Station. Anyone who is driving has to enter the complex of streets around Henry Rd by turning off Green Lanes into Gloucester Drive.

To join CARJ or renew your membership, please email info@carj.org.uk for membership form.

LINK

CARJ: www.carj.org.uk/