Mexican Catholic Church Opposes Senate Bill to Redefine ‘Dignified Death’

Mexico City — The Mexican Catholic Church has criticized a Senate bill that seeks to redefine the concept of “dignified death,” arguing it promotes euthanasia for terminally ill patients.

The Archdiocese of Mexico stated in its weekly editorial that the proposed legislation, known as the “Transcend Law,” creates a “sophism” by suggesting that ending the life of someone with a terminal or degenerative illness is part of their dignity.

“From an ontological point of view, every life is dignified in itself, regardless of the circumstances one is going through,” the editorial in Desde la fe stated. “Thus, every person is dignified in themselves and has the right to preserve their life. We could infer that every person has the right to seek a dignified life, rather than a ‘dignified death.'”

Terminally ill patient and activist Samara Martínez is pushing the legislation in the Mexican Senate to legalize euthanasia. The bill aims to decriminalize medical assistance for dying with dignity in cases of irreversible conditions.

The Catholic institution noted that Mexico’s Supreme Court has ruled that “dignified death” does not necessarily lead to euthanasia and assisted suicide, but rather refers to “dying well” according to international treaties and studies.

Meanwhile, the National Bioethics Commission has stated that “dying well involves accompanying the person in the terminal illness process with the necessary palliative care to eliminate the suffering they endure.”

“It has been proven that when a person with an illness can eliminate suffering and pain, the last thing they think about is dying; we must fight to eliminate pain, not the sufferer,” the Mexican Catholic Church concluded.

The bill, which is at a crucial stage in the Senate, will undergo a dialogue led by Martínez on April 16. A discussion forum will take place in the Senate on April 23 with specialized discussion tables on medical, legal, and patient and caregiver perspectives.

Martínez said the goal is to obtain a ruling before April 30 so the initiative can advance to the next legislative period.

According to 2023 data, only 5% of terminal patients have access to palliative care in Mexico. So far, 20 of Mexico’s 32 states—including the capital—have advance directive laws, also called passive euthanasia, which allow patients to refuse medical treatments in critical moments.