Pope Benedict XVI Urges Catholics to Oppose Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide
Lourdes, France (LifeNews.com) -- Pope Benedict XVI reminded Catholics to oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide in a Mass he conducted in France on Monday. He urged people to accept death "at the hour chosen by God," rather than succumb to the pressure or temptation of taking one's own life or that of another. The message is important in Europe, where the Netherlands and Belgium have legalized euthanasia and Switzerland is tolerant of suicide clinics. The leader of the Catholic Church urged people to rely on Goid's help to get through troubled times, illness, or disease that may compel them to want to take their own life. "Unfortunately we know only too well: the endurance of suffering can upset life's most stable equilibrium, it can shake the firmest foundations of confidence, and sometimes even leads people to despair of the meaning and value of life," the pope said. "There are struggles that we cannot sustain alone, without the help of divine grace," he said. He said terminally ill patients should pray to find "the grace to accept, without fear or bitterness, to leave this world at the hour chosen by God." Full story at LifeNews.com.
