New Archbishop of Canterbury warns of danger in legalizing assisted suicide

The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, is warning that the UK's plan to legalize assisted suicide will put vulnerable people at risk of abuse and discrimination. The same could and should be said about abortion; however, Mullally has faced criticism for her pro-abortion comments.

Key Takeaways:

• The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, has been outspoken against assisted suicide.

• In a recent interview with former Prime Minister Theresa May, Mullally said assisted suicide is not a real "choice" because it puts vulnerable people at risk, and the other choices are not properly offered.

• However, Mullally has made pro-abortion comments in the past, including calling for the need to improve "abortion care."

• Her words about assisted suicide can apply to abortion, which is also not a proper choice.

The Details:

In a New Year's Eve interview with former Prime Minister Theresa May on the BBC's Today Programme, Mullally, who has spoken in favor of abortion, confirmed that she is against the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Legislators in the UK have been debating an assisted suicide bill since the 1970s, but the latest Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was introduced in late 2024. Scotland also has assisted suicide legislation pending, with the final vote expected this spring.

"Those who support the bill talk about choice," said Mullally. "I'm not sure we have choice — we don't properly fund palliative care, we don't properly fund palliative-care research. I'm worried that people may make a decision for assisted dying because they're not having the right palliative care or the right social care."

She said that her view on the matter was formed in her role as a nurse and a clergy member as she sat alongside "many people who have died." She added there is nothing, no amendment to the bill that would "protect the most vulnerable in our society."

READ: Why the spread of legalized assisted suicide is a danger to the vulnerable

She's right. Nations that have legalized assisted suicide with supposedly tight rules as to who can access them typically expand the requirements to allow non-terminally ill individuals to seek death. Canada, for example, has made plans to allow assisted suicide for mental health conditions.

In addition, a report in the journal Palliative Medicine revealed that the rise of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada has had a negative impact on the palliative treatment that should be given to the sick and dying.

While Mullally's right on assisted suicide being a dangerous proposition, her words can also apply to abortion.

Why it Matters:

The Church of England has maintained a mostly pro-life stance, believing that abortion should be allowed in cases related to the life of the mother. However, Mullally has made pro-abortion comments, including that it is a "heart-wrenching decision..." and referring to the killing of preborn human beings as "abortion care." That's what makes her pro-life comments about assisted suicide interesting.

Her comments on assisted suicide not truly being about "choice" also pertain to abortion. Coerced abortion is a serious problem. Studies have shown that 64% of women felt pressured into abortions, and 67% of post-abortive women said that they received no counseling before undergoing an abortion. In addition, 79% of women who had abortions said they received no information about available alternatives. Live Action News has reported many stories of women who have said they aborted their children due to coercion.

Even if a mother wants to choose life for her child, she may choose abortion because of the pressures she is facing. The abortion industry, which is motivated by financial profit, cannot be relied upon to assist women who are being coerced. Making "improvements to abortion care," as Mullally has suggested, will not eliminate the coercion that the abortion industry does not want to eliminate.

The Bottom Line:

Just as there are vulnerable people harmed and killed by assisted suicide, there are vulnerable people harmed and killed by abortion. Women suffer both physical and emotional harm from abortion, and innocent children — the most vulnerable among us — are violently killed and denied any choice at all.