Nuncio in Mexico reiterates Church’s opposition to euthanasia

Mexico City, Mexico, Jan 11, 2008 / 02:11 am

During a press conference this week, the Apostolic Nuncio in Mexico, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, reiterated the Church’s opposition to euthanasia, calling it an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the human person.

During a pastoral visit to the city of Nuevo Laredo, Archbishop Pierre responded to questions about a new law approved in Mexico City allowing “death with dignity” that includes concepts akin to the legalization of euthanasia.

“Let us hope the new law supporting ‘death with dignity,’ approved in Mexico City, does not become the path towards euthanasia or assisted suicide in this country,” the Nuncio said.

“The Church is always in favor of life above all other things,” he went on, “and against any act that intends to deprive it.”

“The Church has always said that no normal process of life can be interrupted because that is killing,” Archbishop Pierre said.  “The Church does not approve that people speed up their own death, because life is sacred from the beginning to the end.  Neither does she support the use of extraordinary means to keep alive someone who has reached their end in a normal way,” he explained.

“My concern,” he added, “is that this law will be the path towards euthanasia, as there is a tendency in today’s world to interrupt the natural suffering of a sick person in his or her terminal phase and to bring about death.”

Archbishop Pierre stressed, however, that his statements were of an exclusively doctrinal nature and that he was not intending to interfere in the public life of national institutions, because to do so would not be in keeping with his role as representative of Benedict XVI.