FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andre Kim
347-286-7277
Washington, DC – Father Frank Pavone, National Director of
Priests for Life, welcomed today the statement that the United States Catholic
Bishops approved this week regarding assisted suicide.
“As the bishops have pointed out, proposals to legalize
physician-assisted suicide ‘generally leave in place the laws against
assisting most people to commit suicide, but they define a class of people
whose suicides may be facilitated rather than prevented.’ Put another way,
this is just the latest form of prejudice and discrimination in our society,”
Father Pavone pointed out. “To those who advocate the right to die, I always
say, ‘Don’t worry; you won’t miss out on it.”
As the world’s largest Catholic ministry focused exclusively
on ending abortion and euthanasia, Priests for Life has brought attention over
the years to key cases that pertain to what the bishops teach in this document.
In particular, the case of Terri Schiavo in 2005, and of Baby Joseph this year,
have been opportunities for God’s people to rally on behalf of the vulnerable,
and have been a teaching moment for our entire society.
“Building on the bishops’ statement, we will see to it that
every priest has resources to preach and teach on this aspect of the Gospel of
Life,” Father Pavone said. “The statement has been issued. Now it’s time to
exercise the courage to echo and apply its teaching, and to call our people to
say to the ill and vulnerable what Jesus says to us all: I am with you!”
For more information and for the statement itself, see www.priestsforlife.org/euthanasia.
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization
dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit
www.priestsforlife.org.