Catholic and Anglican leaders urged
AUSTRIA
faithful to contact their MPs to oppose the
bill ahead of Friday’s vote.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster
said he believes this grassroots opposition
played a role in the measure’s defeat.
ENGLAND
“I thank all Catholics in our parishes who
took the time to write to or visit their
Bishops welcome
Failure of Assisted
Suicide bill
A measure that would have legalized
assisted suicide in England and Wales
failed in the British Parliament by a vote
Member of Parliament to express their
concern about the Bill,” he said. “It was
an important moment of witness to our
Christian faith and the value it places on
each and every human life.”
reach a common solution to meet the
current migration crisis undermines the
very essence of Europe as a common
project, based on solidarity, democracy
and liberty.
organisations on the European continent,
is on the front lines and deeply involved in
SWITZERLAND
delivering humanitarian assistance to the
tens of thousands of refugees and forced
nation.
“I welcome Parliament’s recognition of the
Caritas Europe says the EU’s inability to
Caritas Europe, the network of Caritas
CNA
of 330-118, much to the relief of both
Catholic and Anglican leaders in the
Caritas Europe
says migrant crisis
highlights EU
solidarity crisis
migrants arriving in Europe.
Caritas Europe’s General Secretary, Jorge
of our society’s most vulnerable people,”
Bishops hold Assembly
in Holy Land
said Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark
The Council of European Episcopal
afraid of a changing social and cultural
in a September 11 statement on behalf
Conferences (CCEE) in september held
scenario and heed the message of the
of the Catholic bishops of England and
its Plenary Assembly in the Holy Land.
Pope and of the Gospel so that “we can
Wales.
The meeting came at the invitation of His
create a very rich and beautiful peaceful
Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of
society”.
grave risks that this bill posed to the lives
Jerusalem.
Nuno said that Europeans must stop being
But right now, quoting Cardinal Schonborn
By accepting the invitation for the Holy
of Vienna, Nuno Mayer says we are not
Land to host their meeting, the Presidents
only dealing with a migrant crisis, but here
of the Bishops’ Conferences said it allowed
in Europe we have “a crisis of solidarity, a
for the meeting to be a pilgrimage to the
crisis of humanity…”
very roots of European culture.
CNA
“The Gospel arrived in Europe having set
out from this land, too! When Europe goes
to the Holy Land, it is going, therefore, to
the place of its Judaeo-Christian roots,”
said Msgr. Duarte da Cunha, General
Secretary of CCEE.
“This area of the world has always been
The measure would have allowed doctors
a crossroads of civilisation, permeated
to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to
by great cultural differences and at times
patients with six months or less to live. The
by strong social tensions which in the
lethal drugs would be self-administered,
past have united and today still continue
and each case would need approval by
to bind Europe and the Middle East,” he
two physicians and a judge.
added.
VATICAN RADIO
THE SEED - VOL 27, No. 10 OCTOBER 2015
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