“We give the impression that, ultimately, society wants to encourage some to give up living,” said the Archbishop of Reims after an hour-long interview with the Head of State.
Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), told Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday September 27 his “worry“As for a possible evolution of the legislation on the end of life, a subject on which the Head of State”don’t want to divide“.
“We told him of our concern that by opening up a new right, we give the impression that, ultimately, society wants to encourage some people to give up living“, declared the archbishop of Reims to AFP after an interview of”one o’clockof a CEF delegation with the Head of State. This meeting took place two weeks after the publication of the opinion of the National Consultative Ethics Committee, which ruled that a “active assistance in dyingcould apply in France, butunder certain strict conditions“.
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A debate will now begin, particularly within a Citizens’ Convention, “incorporated in October“, who will report his conclusions in “March 2023“. The executive also receives all the actors concerned, including, since last Wednesday, the various worship leaders. President “explained to us the need to have different levels of debate and his desire not to divide French society on this subject“said the man of the Church.
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Case of incurable diseases
According to him, Emmanuel Macron “said he was completely determined to take into account what will come out of the debates in its various components“. During the interview, the episcopate also underlined “importance” scope “Development» and to «the effectiveness of palliative care, still very poorly distributed in France“.
The head of state “shares this concern, overall, but he insists on the need today to think about the case of people who are conscious but suffer from an incurable disease, who, freely, after having spoken to their family and with the agreement of doctors , believe that they do not want to live the last months they have left“.
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Eric de Moulins-Beaufort also exhibited the “process in place, or in progress“, within the Catholic Church of France since the Sauvé report which, almost a year ago, had documented the extent of pedocrime in the Church for 70 years. The law of 2021 known as “against separatism“, which according to the Christian Churches undermines the freedom of worship, or the situation “in Armenia and Ukrainewere also on the menu for discussion.
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