LEICESTER, United Kingdom – Catholic leaders in Wales are urging legislators not to accept a British parliamentary Bill that would legalize doctor-assisted suicide.
Westminster’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was passed by the House of Commons in June 2025 and is currently being debated in the House of Lords.
Members of the Senedd – the Welsh parliament – are set to debate and vote on on whether to allow the British parliament in Westminster to continue to legislate on its behalf on Jan. 20.
Even if the Senedd does agree to pass the proposal, Welsh people would be able to receive assisted suicide if the British law is confirmed, but it wouldn’t be provided by the Welsh National Health Service.
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Archbishop Mark O’Toole of Cardiff-Menevia and Bishop Peter Brignall of Wrexham issued a statement saying they wished “to express [their] deep concern about the proposal to legalize assisted suicide and the serious implications this would have for Wales.”
The Catholic bishops said If enacted, the bill would introduce assisted suicide into law and represent a profound change in how society responds to those who are terminally ill.
“In our view, it would place many vulnerable people at greater risk,” they said, noting how international experience has shown eligibility criteria tending to expand over time in places where assisted suicide has been legalized. The number of deaths also increases, “and subtle but real pressure is placed on people who are elderly, disabled, or who fear becoming a burden on others.”
The statement said Wales has a long and proud tradition of compassion and of valuing the dignity of every human life.
“That tradition is reflected in the way our communities, health services, and voluntary organizations seek to care for those who are suffering or approaching the end of life. True compassion does not mean ending a life. It means accompanying those who suffer, easing their pain, supporting families, and ensuring that no one feels abandoned, burdensome, or without worth,” said O’Toole and Brignall.
They also said the Catholic community in Wales, through its parishes, schools, chaplaincies, and charitable work, is deeply committed to supporting people at every stage of life – particularly those who are ill or dying.
“We believe that the right response to suffering is not to hasten death, but to strengthen palliative and end-of-life care so that every person can live their final days with dignity, comfort, and peace,” the bishops said.
Meanwhile, more than 250 doctors and health professionals have signed an open letter urging Welsh politicians to reject the assisted dying bill.
“The bill’s definition of terminal illness fails to recognize the risks from mistaken diagnosis or misinformation. Accurate prognostication is impossible,” the health officials write.
“Patients will be eligible to access lethal drugs if they feel a burden or because of a lack of services. Coercion is often covert and difficult to detect, particularly when undue influence comes from family or from a person with authority,” the letter adds.
Dr. Victoria Wheatley, a palliative care consultant who signed the letter, said the proposed legislation is “extremely unsafe for the population of Wales.”
“Vulnerable people would be at great risk of having an assisted suicide when they shouldn’t do, and the safeguards with that are completely inadequate,” she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
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