With the UK parliament set to vote again on an assisted suicide bill this Friday, another British bishop has criticized the bill, saying the bill is not only bad but unneeded, and he called on Catholics to contact their Members of Parliament (MPs) to raise their objections.

Bishop Stephen Wright of Hexham and Newcastle, spoke about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that the House of Commons will vote on Sept. 11.

“I’m against assisted suicide. Life is a gift from God. Every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and every person, no matter what their position in life is or whatever they may be going through, has a God-given dignity that must be respected,” he said.

“It’s not for human beings to kill one another in any context. I really do encourage you to contact your MPs and ask them to oppose this bill. Morals and ethics aside, it’s a bad bill. It fails to provide safeguards to the most vulnerable in society. This bill is not necessary and it is wrong,” Wright added.

Lauren Edwards, a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party, reintroduced the bill in June.

A nearly identical bill introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater passed the final stage in the House of Commons in June 2025 but timed out in April this year after there were over 1200 amendments introduced in the House of Lords.

However, due to two Parliament Acts, if the bill passes the House of Commons this time, the House of Lords will be unable to prevent the bill becoming legislation.

Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, the Lead Bishop for Life Issues at the England and Wales bishops’ conference, recently told Crux Now that bypassing the House of Lords would only result in a flawed bill becoming law.

“The Lords [previously] gave it great scrutiny and brought out the flaws in this legislature. Therefore, we’re moving into a new situation with an old bill and still carrying with it all the flaws and all the problems which have not been ironed out,” said Sherrington.

“So I think that it’s not right to use the parliament bill because it would truncate the debate and it would not put right any of the problems with this bill,” the prelate added.

Wright and Sherrington are part of a number of Catholic prelates who have raised concerns about the bill, along with many religious and non-religious organizations, including advocates for people living with disabilities and charities supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

Last week, Bishop Marcus Stock of Leeds said phrases such as assisted dying and dignity in dying were merely euphemisms for assisted suicide.

“Assisted dying and dignity in dying are simply euphemisms for assisted suicide. There are many ways in which people can rightly and properly be assisted to die with dignity. By offering them our love and care, by supporting them and their families with our prayers, and through the services provided by palliative care and hospices,” he said.

“As Catholics, we believe in the dignity of all human life throughout its natural span. We believe that, except in cases where our mental health is adversely affecting our capacity to make balanced choices, to intentionally take our own life is a rejection of God’s loving gift of life to us. And is therefore one of the gravest of sins,” he added.

March for Life 

On Sept. 5, thousands of pro-lifers processed through the streets of London as part of an annual demonstration organized by March for Life UK, with a record 15 bishops in attendance, including Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster, the president of the bishops’ conference of England and Wales.

Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark spoke at the march, saying that a civilized society is impossible without respect for life at all stages.

“The people here are grandparents, young people, young adults, parents, clergy, religious sisters, all kinds of different people – many who share my faith, some who don’t – but we’re united in one conviction: that the dignity of human life is paramount. That without a dignified approach to human life, what basis do we have for a civilized society?” Wilson said.

“So we want to say today that human life matters, that every life matters, from first moments of conception to natural death, and we’re doing that joyfully, with great confidence and with great love,” he added.

There was also a counter-protest by pro-choice activists, which included a disruption of Mass at Westminster Cathedral at the beginning of the procession.

A video circulated on social media showing a number of pro-choice activists being removed by the cathedral’s security as they chanted slogans during the Mass.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, co-director of March for Life UK and someone who has been arrested multiple times for silent prayer outside of an abortion clinic, explained to Crux Now what happened.

“A few protesters began shouting at the start of Mass, but they were very quickly removed. Afterwards, I spoke to one of the bishops who made an interesting observation: while the protesters may not understand the truth about the dignity of human life, they do seem to understand where the heart of their adversaries lies – in the Catholic Church and, particularly, in the Eucharist,” she said.

“As someone who has been arrested multiple times for silent prayer on a public street and been told by those who support abortion to go and pray in your church, it seems ironic that when we pray in our churches we are still not left in peace,” she added.

Vaughan-Spruce also praised the example of the bishops and highlighted the importance of the papal message that was read out on the day.

“For me the most powerful moment of the whole day came at the end, when the bishops came together to pray on stage to pray and read give a blessing. This is where we want our bishops – at the front, leading the Church, compassionately and firmly. When the papal message was read it received arguably the heartiest cheer of the day – particularly from the young people,” she said.

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