(C-Fam — United Nations) – The Holy See challenged the U.N. Human Rights Council’s working group on the elderly to reject attempts to validate euthanasia and assisted suicide in a new legally binding treaty that is being drafted over the next two years.

The second session of the U.N.’s newly created Intergovernmental Working Group on Human Rights of Older Persons was held in Geneva, Switzerland, last week and pitted the Vatican against numerous member states and non-governmental organizations that advocate for euthanasia and other radical social policies.

“The instrument should reaffirm the equal right to life of older persons until natural death and protection against violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, and abandonment,” said Msgr. Riyyan Chaves Mendoza, First Secretary at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. “No provision concerning autonomy should be construed as recognizing a so-called right to euthanasia or assisted suicide.”

“Autonomy” and “death with dignity” have been the euphemistic terms used in campaigns to pass assisted suicide measures targeting the elderly and championing the taking of one’s life as a dignified option and a way not to burden families with difficult caregiving decisions and costs. These campaigns have been pushed heavily by progressive European countries as well as the World Health Organization and non-governmental organizations (NGO) at the U.N.

“There is a right to die in peace and to face death in an autonomous manner. There is a right to die in dignity,” stated the representative of the Center for Global Non-Killing at the October 29 meeting.

Eleven countries, primarily in Europe, have passed assisted suicide laws in attempts to save money and resources required to care for the elderly. France just legalized euthanasia this year but failed to adopt sufficient safeguards for the disabled, elderly, or the mentally impaired. The United Kingdom’s bill failed in September.

Read the entire article at C-Fam.

(C-Fam — United Nations) – The Holy See challenged the U.N. Human Rights Council’s working group on the elderly to reject attempts to validate euthanasia and assisted suicide in a new legally binding treaty that is being drafted over the next two years.

The second session of the U.N.’s newly created Intergovernmental Working Group on Human Rights of Older Persons was held in Geneva, Switzerland, last week and pitted the Vatican against numerous member states and non-governmental organizations that advocate for euthanasia and other radical social policies.

“The instrument should reaffirm the equal right to life of older persons until natural death and protection against violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, and abandonment,” said Msgr. Riyyan Chaves Mendoza, First Secretary at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. “No provision concerning autonomy should be construed as recognizing a so-called right to euthanasia or assisted suicide.”

“Autonomy” and “death with dignity” have been the euphemistic terms used in campaigns to pass assisted suicide measures targeting the elderly and championing the taking of one’s life as a dignified option and a way not to burden families with difficult caregiving decisions and costs. These campaigns have been pushed heavily by progressive European countries as well as the World Health Organization and non-governmental organizations (NGO) at the U.N.

“There is a right to die in peace and to face death in an autonomous manner. There is a right to die in dignity,” stated the representative of the Center for Global Non-Killing at the October 29 meeting.

Eleven countries, primarily in Europe, have passed assisted suicide laws in attempts to save money and resources required to care for the elderly. France just legalized euthanasia this year but failed to adopt sufficient safeguards for the disabled, elderly, or the mentally impaired. The United Kingdom’s bill failed in September.

Read the entire article at C-Fam.