Church divided over assisted suicide issue
THE Church of England was split last night after two Archbishops clashed on assisted dying.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey made an extraordinary U-turn after the case of locked- in sufferer Tony Nicklinson, who died after being refused the legal right to die.
In a shock move yesterday Lord Carey announced he was backing new laws to legalise assisted dying.
His support for Labour peer Lord Falconer’s Bill – which will be debated in the House of Lords this week – goes against the Church of England’s official line.
Lord Carey said it would not be “anti- Christian” to legalise assisted suicide and that by opposing reform the Church risked “promoting anguish and pain”.
But the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Rev James Newcome, who speaks for the Church of England on health, spoke out against the Bill.
He said Lord Falconer should withdraw his Bill to legalise assisted dying in favour of a Royal Commission.
Bishop Newcome said: “Our hope as the Church of England is that the Falconer Bill will be withdrawn and that it could be discussed by Royal Commission.”
Mr Nicklinson died almost two years ago aged 58.
Yesterday his widow Jane said she was “amazed and thrilled” at Lord Carey’s U-turn on the issue.