Uruguay bishops express sadness over euthanasia vote

(OSV News) -- The Uruguay bishops' conference expressed sadness after the country's lower house of Congress approved a bill decriminalizing euthanasia.

"We reiterate our support for palliative care that cares for and accompanies the patient with dignity," the bishops said in an Aug. 13 statement signed by conference president, Bishop Milton Tróccoli of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas; vice president, Cardinal Daniel Sturla of Montevideo; and secretary general, Bishop Heriberto Bodeant of Canelones.

The lower house approved the Dignified Death Law by a 64-29 margin Aug. 13 with most lawmakers from leftist Broad Front coalition and some from the more conservative Colorado Party supporting the bill.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. President Yamandú Orsi told reporters prior to the vote that he supports the measure "as long as extreme care and safeguards are taken."

Leaders from the bishops' conference's permanent council met with Orsi on Aug. 5. "We wanted to emphasize everything that can be done positively, that is, to promote care and support for people in their suffering … can help prevent unnatural endings of life," Bishop Bodeant told reporters after the meeting, according to the bishops' conference.

The bishop clarified that the representatives of the Uruguay's bishops' conference, known as CEU, did not ask the president to veto the euthanasia law if it were passed. "We simply stated our position," Bishop Bodeant said. "The president listened to us with great respect and we discussed the importance of emphasizing alternatives, care, and, especially, promoting palliative care."

The proposed Uruguayan law permits any adult who is deemed "mentally fit"and is at "terminal stage of an incurable and irreversible pathology" and who as a result of the pathology or health condition "experiences unbearable suffering, in all cases with serious and progressive deterioration of their quality of life, has the right to, at their request and by the procedure established in this law, be subjected to euthanasia so that their death may occur in a painless, peaceful manner and with respect for their dignity."

The Uruguayan bishops have vigorously opposed the euthanasia bill since it was introduced. They published a lengthy document in April titled, "Facing the End of Life with Love," in which they said, "Physicians should never be involved in conduct that actively causes the death of another human being."

The April statement continued, "Killing a patient is unethical, even to spare them pain and suffering, even if they expressly request it. However, 'palliative sedation' … is ethical. Neither the patient, nor the healthcare provider, nor the family members have the right to decide or cause a person's death. Ultimately, such an action constitutes homicide carried out in a clinical context."

A survey by polling firm Cifra found 62% of Uruguayans support the euthanasia bill.

Two Latin American countries have legalized euthanasia, Colombia and Ecuador, after constitutional court decisions.

Uruguay has become one of the least Catholic countries in Latin America in recent years; the respected Latinobarrómetro survey of 17 countries in the region found 47% of Uruguayans profess no faith at all.