Respect Life Overview

IT’S TIME TO SPEAK OUT AGAIN IN OPPOSITION TO  PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE  

The Massachusetts Catholic Conference has been following two bills that would legalize Physician Assisted Suicide in Massachusetts. House Bill 2505 and Senate Bill 1486, “An Act relative to End-of-Life Options.”  At present HB 2505 is in the Joint Committee on Healthcare Finance and SB 1486 is in Senate Ways and Means. However, the bills may come to the floor for a vote at any time.  

Working together, we can join health care professionals, disability groups, senior citizens, the infirmed and countless individuals in saying NO to assisted suicide and to stop the legislation from moving forward this session.

Here are some troubling facts to consider before you contact your elected officials:  

1.)  A DEADLY PRESCRIPTION - The bill would allow a physician to provide a lethal drug mixture to an individual diagnosed with less than 6 months to live that, when consumed, would cause death.  NOTE - The diagnosis could be wrong. Countless individuals have outlived that 6-month diagnosis and enjoyed many more precious months and years with family and friends.  

2.) NO REAL SAFEGUARDS - A vulnerable individual who is physically disabled, depressed, or fears being a “burden” may be subject to undue influence by others to make the choice of PAS.  

3.) MISPLACED PRIORITIES -The primary focus of elected officials should be dedicated to legislation providing quality health care, mental health care and palliative care to the sick and dying – particularly in the underserved, poor and minority communities that suffer the most at the time of need.   

Your Voice Matters – Please call today! Please call or email your elected State Senator and State Representative to voice your opposition.  They represent you and should know your views on this topic.  You can do this by logging onto www.macatholic.org or scan QR code below.  Follow the links to find contact information for your individual State Senator and State Representative via address and zip code link. Stay informed by signing up to receive alerts. 

For individuals without internet access, please call the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-746-5630.  We will provide you the legislative contact information.  

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF THIS MESSAGE.

Visit www.macatholic.org for more information.

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If your parish would like to host a presentation on what the Church teaches on end-of-life issues, please contact the Respect Life Office
 at 508-929-4311 or email [email protected].
We look forward to serving you!

 

This year's Respect Life Program theme is "LIFE: Our Sign of Hope" in continuity with our celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope.

The print materials from this year's Respect Life Program were mailed to all parishes, Catholic schools, and college campus ministries in the Diocese of Worcester in early September. All of the materials are available in both English and Spanish and additional resources can be found at the USCCB's dedicated webpage. 

Some things your parish can do to celebrate
 the Respect Life theme all year long:

The National Catholic Bioethics Center's Jozef Zalot interviews
diocesan pro-life leaders Allison LeDoux(Worcester, MA) and Fr. Peter Ascik (Charlotte, NC) to discuss the opportunities provided by, and the challenges facing, the Catholic Church in the post-Dobbs world. They also address the Church’s ongoing efforts to promote the culture of life in the United States.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE.
 

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"Working for a culture of life and love, we know that we can rely on the help of God,
for whom nothing is impossible."

~ St. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, n. 100
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