This document was published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Dicastery for Culture and Education on 14th January 2025. Below is a summary which follows the headings and structure of the original document.
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We have a new government which is just as fiscally constrained as the previous government. One reason it is fiscally constrained is because of the low birthrate. Perhaps we would do better in that respect if we had a tax system which did not discriminate against a parent staying at home (or working limited hours outside the home) whilst caring for the famiy’s children and elderly.
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The Catholic social thought site has a range of video explainers. At the current time, when the news is full of tariffs and restrictions on migration, I thought it would be appropriate to post this video on Catholic social thought and globalisation. With thanks to the narrator Jasmine de Kretser.
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Kim Leadbeater’s bill, designed to introduce assisted suicide, has passed its second reading. But the debate is not finished. Many MPs voted to support it because they believed that the bill could be improved. There is a danger that, as MPs debate specific amendments, they will forget the principle that crossing the threshold to allow assisted suicide sets us going on a process which is no longer entirely in the control of parliament. The experience of many countries shows this. But, in the spirit of taking on arguments at their strongest points, it is worth looking at how even the most tightly drafted bill will not stand the test of time. No amendment can make this bill safe.
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As the UK parliament moves closer to the momentous vote on assisted suicide on 29th November, it is worth taking stock of the arguments. The arguments in favour of the bill fall on each of the grounds of principle, practice and because of the inadequacies of the bill – and you do not have to be Catholic to accept the arguments against.
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With the announcement of a new debate in parliament on ‘assisted dying’ in the coming weeks, many people are anticipating the end of what they term a ‘cruel law’ that prevents medical practitioners from giving patients lethal drugs so that patients can end their own life. As Esther Rantzen has said, ‘all I’m asking for is that we be given the dignity of choice.’ Those like Dame Esther in favour of a change in law argue that evidence from other legislatures shows that with proper safeguards there is no abuse, no coercion, no slippery slope. As the advocate of several attempts to change the law, Lord Falconer has said, 300 million people around the world already have access to ‘safe, tried and tested assisted dying’.
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In the run up to the election, our friends at Together for the Common Good have launched a new podcast series exploring the common good as a catalyst to spiritual and civic renewal.
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Despite the strong interest in property rights in Catholic social thought and teaching, their importance is rarely linked to the topic of the preservation of the natural environment. There is a clear prima facie case for doing so. It starts with what is often described as the ‘tragedy of the commons’.
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Esther Rantzen is one of a number of well-known and well-regarded celebrities who have publicly declared their support for a change in the law on assisted dying. When a celebrity makes a pronouncement, many people stop and take notice even if the celebrity is not making any new arguments. Celebrity is persuasive. Esther Rantzen says that she appreciates all the arguments against assisted dying. Nevertheless, she thinks that people should be given a choice about how and when they want to die. In particular, she wants to spare her family from the painful memories of a bad death. She observes that, after all, we give dogs a painless death. Given the current prohibition on assisted dying under English law she has decided that if her treatment for stage four lung cancer does not improve her condition she may just ‘buzz off to Zurich.’
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Indi Gregory was not simply another tragic case of a very poorly infant nor the latest case of another contentious end-of-life court case, though her case was the latest in a line of cases where courts sided with doctors against the wishes of parents. Indi was a beloved child, and everyone involved in her care wanted the best for her. The problem was they disagreed on what was best. Unfortunately, it is likely that there will be similar cases in the future which is why it is fruitful to reflect on attitudes and principles underlying decision making in these heart-breaking cases.
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