On his 85th birthday Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post where he goes further than his previous position of supporting assisted dying. He now states that when his time comes, he would like this option for himself.
The article includes many important quotes, perhaps the most significant, given his position, is:
“In refusing dying people the right to die with dignity, we fail to demonstrate the compassion that lies at the heart of Christian values.”
It is interesting that Archbishop Tutu manages to reconcile his belief in the sanctity of life with his call for legalised assisted dying, and with his personal wish for the option of an assisted death. MDMD hope that other faith leaders will follow the example set by Archbishop Tutu and Lord Carey in publicly supporting assisted dying, and thereby demonstrating compassion for those at the end of life, rather than perpetuating unnecessary, unwanted, suffering.
