Left image – Wikimedia Commons: Bishop John Sherrington
A powerful statement from Archbishop John Sherrington has reignited pro-life concerns over the UK’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, currently under debate in the House of Lords. The Archbishop, lead bishop for life issues, warns the legislation could severely compromise the mission and viability of care homes and hospices across England and Wales.
Archbishop Sherrington and Catholic leadership maintain the bill contains fundamental flaws. It introduces a path to legal assistance in death, but lacks sufficient protection for healthcare institutions and workers with conscientious objections, threatening deeply held moral convictions. The bill’s conscience clause is deemed inadequate; many doctors and nurses may be pressured to act against their principles under the obligation to direct patients toward assisted death.
Pro-life voices, including SPUC, strongly condemn the trajectory of this legislation.
By structure, the bill risks turning a cherished choice into an institutional duty. Hospices founded on compassionate care may be forced into facilitating assisted suicide or face closure. Instead of fostering a culture of care and life, we risk normalising death.
SPUC criticizes the bill for eroding palliative care and failing vulnerable patients. International evidence warns that assisted-dying laws often expand in scope over time moving beyond terminal cases to include those with mental health issues or disabilities.
This shift marks more than a moral fissure, it’s a hazard to social infrastructure. Archbishop Sherrington asserts that if the bill becomes law, many care homes and hospices may withdraw services to remain true to their ethical foundations. SPUC echoes this concern, calling on Parliament to oppose the bill and instead direct energy and resources toward improving end-of-life support.
With the House of Commons having passed the bill by a slim margin, its fate now hinges on the House of Lords. Pro-life advocates urge peers to block the legislation and protect the bedrock of compassionate care, calling for robust funding, strong conscience protections, and expanded palliative services instead of sanctioning assisted death.
