Catholic Life Committee: "Oppose Euthanasia... Life Possesses Inviolable Sanctity"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] The Life Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul has expressed serious concerns about the legalization of the Assisted Dignified Death Act. This is a response to the bill on assisted dignified death being proposed in the National Assembly.

On the 20th, the Life Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul stated in a position paper, “Human life possesses a sanctity that cannot be violated by oneself or others until the very last moment,” and added, “What is needed to reduce the unbearable pain of terminal patients and to help them have a dignified and honorable death is the community’s attention and care, not acts that shorten that life.”

They continued, “Physician-assisted suicide is merely a result of our society pursuing only economic efficiency and losing a culture of human interest and care; it is by no means a way to realize human dignity,” and warned, “This bill also carries risks of misuse or side effects, such as causing ‘unwanted decisions’ to avoid economic burdens on families.”

Finally, they emphasized, “We urge the government to create policies and laws that expand support for hospice and palliative care as alternatives to help terminal patients overcome their difficulties, so that patients can receive personal care without pain until their last moments.”

Earlier, on the 15th, Assemblyman Ahn Gyu-baek of the Democratic Party of Korea introduced the “Partial Amendment to the Act on Hospice, Palliative Care, and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients in the Dying Process.” The core of the bill is to allow ‘assisted dignified death,’ which means that if a doctor prepares the medication, the patient administers it themselves to end their own life.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.