Archbishop warns priests backing euthanasia are not honouring their duty

Archbishop Charles Scicluna has warned that priests who speak in favour of euthanasia are “failing to honour their duty as Catholic shepherds”.

“The People of God expect to receive light on the truth of the Gospel of Life from their Priests and Bishops,” Archbishop Scicluna said on social media. “Pastors who express themselves in favour of euthanasia, a deliberate act to terminate human life before its natural end, fail to honour their duty as Catholic shepherds.”

The comment came after a priest appeared to support the government’s proposed voluntary assisted euthanasia framework on national television. The discussion took place on F Living during a programme hosted by Karl Bonaci on Monday.

Earlier this month, the government launched a public consultation on voluntary assisted dying, proposing a tightly regulated framework limited to mentally competent adults suffering from a terminal illness expected to lead to death within six months.

Speaking on the programme hosted by Karl Bonaci, Fr Colin Apap said that in difficult moments of illness and death, compassion must be shown not only to the person suffering but also to their family. “If we don't have a heart to feel that you can show compassion, then what are we doing?” he said.

He continued  that while people can agree or disagree on the issue, the real test is in how we respect one another during the debate. “We are talking about a government that is not confessional. Our government is not a Catholic government for Catholics, it is for all citizens.”

Apap said that the Labour Party had proposed discussing euthanasia as part of its electoral programme. He noted that while he prefers the term “assisted dying”, which he said helps people die with dignity, he recognised that the term “euthanasia” was used in the consultation framework.

“There needs to be respect first between us,” he said, adding that God does not want suffering. “God gave us a brain to use it so that suffering, if possible, is not there.”

He explained that, according to Catholic theology, suffering entered the world through original sin, not by God's design. “God’s plan was for man to live happily forever. Then man rebelled, and death and suffering came in.”

Apap stressed that the discussion must continue, especially when people are in extreme pain or dealing with the suffering of loved ones. “Today, people are resigning themselves because they say, ‘I can't take it anymore’.”

The priest showed support for the framework and the safeguards being suggested in the ongoing public consultation launched by the government.