Politics
Sunday May 1, 2005
Council of Europe Rejects Euthanasia - Vatican Praises Move
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
STRASBOURG, May 2, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On April 27th, during the plenary session in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rejected a draft resolution on "assistance to patients at the end of life", a report submitted by Dick Marty (Switzerland, LDR). Euro-fam, a pro-life group which monitors the European Parliament reports that at the end of a long debate, parliamentarians voted on 71 amendments. Once amended, the text was overwhelmingly rejected by the Assembly. 138 voted against, 26 in favour and 5 abstained.
During the debate preceding the vote, several members also warned that any attempt to legislate euthanasia would lead to serious consequences. For example, recent reports show that the rate of euthanasia cases is escalating in countries where it was legalized. Today, euthanasia kills one person a day in Belgium and five persons a day in Netherlands. In both countries, the numbers are on the rise. The Netherlands even have a law that allows children aged between 12 and 17 years old to be 'euthanasied' on request.
The Vatican's Bishop Elio Sgreccia, commented on the vote on Vatican Radio saying, ""It has been a positive sign. It means that there are still forces in Europe that respect and want the life of the seriously ill patient respected, in the final stage."
Bishop Sgreccia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, warned however that "We must expect that pressure in favor of euthanasia will attack again with similar proposals, given that, in Europe, some countries have approved euthanasia." Indeed, Marty expressed his hope that the issue would come before the council again.
jhw
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Hoffman Loses Final Tally of NY-23 Race; Alleges ACORN Tampering and Fraud
- Abortion Activist Judge Hamilton Confirmed with Help of Ten Republican Senators
- CDC Reverses Gardasil Vaccine Requirement for Immigrants
- Germany Faces Economic Downturn with Plummeting Birth Rate and Aging Population
- CCHD in Archdiocese of Chicago Says it is Working to Fix Problems
- Rejection of Washington DC Marriage Referendum Challenged With Legal Suit
- Obama-Supporting Homosexual Activist to Out Sexually Involved Priests Unless they Support Gay 'Marriage
- Austrian Catholic Bishops Issue Bland Response to Govt's Homosexual Partnership Bill
- Interim Report on Catholic Sex-Abuse Says "Homosexual Identity" Not a Predictor of Sex Abuse
- Commentary on Nov 20 NewsBytes
- LSN NewsBytes - US Health Care Reform
- LSN NewsBytes - Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)
- LSN NewsBytes - Life Issues, Religion, Swine Flu, US Politics, Sarah Palin, Miscellaneous
- LSN NewsBytes - Climate Change/Global Warming
- 59 Bishops Contributed Financially to Maine Bishop's Effort to Oppose Maine Same-Sex "Marriage" Law
- Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Shower Praise on Senate Bill's Phony Abortion Compromise
Most Read this Week
- Largest U.S. Homosexual Publisher Shuts Down, Closing Major Gay Newspapers
- EWTN's Arroyo Hosts Reform CCHD Reps Who Reveal Shocking Evidence Against USCCB Anti-Poverty Arm
- Italian Mayors Order Crufixes Put in Classrooms in Revolt against European Court Ruling
- Nat'l Organization for Marriage Responds to Miss California "Sex Tape" Scandal
- Obama Evades Questioning on Stupak Amendment in FOX Interview
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- French Judge Finds Hospital Guilty of "Unreasonable Obstinacy" in Saving Newborn's Life
- EU Leaders to Choose President today in Secret "Soviet Style" Meetings
- Hoffman "Unconcedes" Battle for NY-23: Recount Provides Hope for "Miracle" Victory
- CCHD Responds to Reform Movement
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.