Thread by GonzoII.
Moscow, February 10, Interfax – The Russian Orthodox Church stands against euthanasia as “a form of suicide.”
“Suggestions to legalize euthanasia drive us away from freedom. It’s strange to hear such appeals to new forms of totalitarianism, imposing of certain attitude to new form of suicide at legislative level from some human rights advocates,” acting Secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Fr. Georgy Ryabykh told Interfax-Religion on Tuesday.
He believes that advocates of euthanasia “push a person to commit suicide,” while today there works a principle of “voluntary choice” on the question. According to Fr. Georgy, when the Church doesn’t accept euthanasia and considers it “a form of suicide,” thus it “expresses greater respect to human freedom than some human rights advocates, who demand a legislative permission for this action.”
The priest reminds that today legislation doesn’t prohibit euthanasia, people themselves take decision whether to commit suicide or not and consequently “some countries, including prosperous ones, are concerned with the increasing number of suicides.” The Church position, Fr. Georgy believes, “appeals to human conscience.”
“If the right on euthanasia is secured, it will impose certain restrictions on society. For example, doctors will be obliged to do it according to the law, even if they don’t wish. Besides, if we bring this question to the legal sphere, we provoke the tendency to suicides in society,” the interviewee of the agency said. . .
A series of events over the past few days have brought to light, once again, how difficult it is for some people who call themselves Catholic to practice the faith they claim as their own.
At the same time, these events have confirmed the strength and courage required of those who not only wish to be identified as Catholic, but are also willing to step out in faith, go against the tide and actually make a difference for the Lord in this otherwise abysmal world of ours.
Today, for example, at a Philadelphia-area Catholic college, Cabrini by name, the annual Ivy Young Willis Award for Contributions to Public Affairs, will be bestowed on pro-abortion commentator Cokie Roberts. . .