Following the second rejection of an assisted suicide bill in the French Senate last month, an archbishop has said that not everything that is presented as progress turns out to be beneficial, and warned that the legislation could still be “definitively adopted.”
Speaking to Crux Now, the Archbishop of Tours and vice president of the country’s bishops’ conference, Vincent Jordy, drew a comparison between the climate crisis and assisted suicide to demonstrate that what was once considered progressive can turn out to be harmful.
“Over the past 150 years, we have developed industrial progress that is now turning against humanity and gradually making the earth uninhabitable. What once appeared to be progress is ultimately not as obviously beneficial as it seemed. But it took time to realize this,” he said.
“The same applies to moral life and societal choices. Some choices that may seem like solutions can ultimately produce harmful effects on society. It is therefore important to help our contemporaries exercise discernment so as not to be misled by a kind of ideology of progress,” he added.
In May, the French Senate rejected the assisted suicide bill for the second time after it received a second positive reading by the National Assembly – France’s lower house.
However, Jordy warned that now it would return to the National Assembly and could be passed, and emphasized that in the Senate it wasn’t a “majority that was opposed to it.”
“Some senators were completely against it, while others wanted a different version of the text. Above all, this means that there is no unity among elected officials regarding this bill. It should now return to the National Assembly, with the risk of being definitively adopted,” he said.
The full interview with Jordy is below.
Crux Now: Recently, the Senate decided to reject the assisted suicide bill again. What does this mean for France? Do you think it will return in the future?
Jordy: The Senate did indeed reject the text passed by the National Assembly, but not on behalf of a majority that was opposed to it. Some senators were completely against it, while others wanted a different version of the text. Above all, this means that there is no unity among elected officials regarding this bill. It should now return to the National Assembly, with the risk of being definitively adopted.
Do you think people have been receptive to the Church’s teaching on this issue?
I believe that over the past three years, the work of the Catholic Church, as well as that of numerous associations and foundations such as Fondapol, has shown that increased information and invitations to reflection reveal that opinions among the French public are also very divided. The Church’s voice matters in this debate, and it seeks to enlighten consciences by highlighting all the risks associated with this law.
Some comments have suggested that assisted suicide leads to a different view of human anthropology. Can you explain the Church’s anthropological vision and how it differs from that of those who support assisted suicide?
For the Catholic Church, anthropology is, of course, based on a biblical understanding of the human person, who is created in the image and likeness of God. This person has received life as a gift to be welcomed and accepted. Christian anthropology also emphasizes the dimension of relationships between people, aimed at a life of fraternity, which is a constant invitation to accompany others, especially the most vulnerable, until the very end. Fraternity therefore obliges us to care for and accompany people all the way through life’s final stages.
Do you think this legislation will ultimately be adopted in one form or another?
We often hear the following line of reasoning: moral and societal changes are considered progress, particularly in the service of individual freedom and as a means of personal fulfillment. However, the notion of progress is very ambiguous. We can see this today in the field of ecology. Over the past 150 years, we have developed industrial progress that is now turning against humanity and gradually making the earth uninhabitable. What once appeared to be progress is ultimately not as obviously beneficial as it seemed. But it took time to realize this.
The same applies to moral life and societal choices. Some choices that may seem like solutions can ultimately produce harmful effects on society. It is therefore important to help our contemporaries exercise discernment so as not to be misled by a kind of ideology of progress.
Reports indicate an increase in baptisms in France in recent years. What is your outlook for the future of Catholicism in France?
For about five years, the number of adult baptisms in France has been steadily increasing, as has the number of people returning to the faith. For many experts, this phenomenon, intensified by the COVID crisis, reflects a search for meaning in the face of humanity’s fragility, as well as a need for genuine and authentic relationships that digital interactions are unable to fully satisfy. This phenomenon brings great joy to the Church in France, which is called to welcome and integrate these new believers and help them persevere in the faith.
However, this influx does not offset the decline in baptisms among the broader French population. Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the Church as a “creative minority,” and Pope Leo recently referred to being a minority “without any inferiority complex.” The future of Catholicism therefore depends in part on the ability of the coming generation to pass on the faith in a peaceful and joyful manner.
How can the Church continue to reach people in a world where there are so many different views about the meaning of life?
There are certainly many different views about the meaning of life. However, beyond these differences, every human person seeks – perhaps even unconsciously – happiness, truth, and goodness. It is up to the Church to find the various means by which it can bear witness to the Gospel, which can illuminate these aspirations that reside in the human heart.
