The Catholic Weekly 3 April 2022

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 3, April, 2022 A PERSON is dying every two days from euthanasia in Western Australia only eight months after the introduc- tion of “voluntary assisted dy- ing” in the state, according to figures released last week by the WA Health Minister, with numbers set to rise rapidly. One hundred and twen- ty-five people have ended their lives through euthana- sia, out of a total of 378 who have applied for the proce- dure. Of that total, two hundred and sixty “first assessments for eligibility” have been un- dertaken, a number likely to rise rapidly once more doc- tors qualify to administer eu- thanasia in WA. Currently 59 of 102 med- ical practitioners who have applied for certification have completed the WA govern- ment’s mandatory training. Amber-Jade Sanderson, the WA Health Minister, gave the statistics during an update to WA Parliament on 23 March. “VAD is an important end- ¾ Adam Wesselinoff WA law: a death every 2 days of-life choice for people diag- nosed with a terminal illness,” Ms Sanderson told Parlia- ment, adding that the govern- ment “continues to improve access to palliative care across WA”. Ms Sanderson’s figures mean 16 Australians are dy- ing from euthanasia a month in WA, one every two days, which would rise to one per day if the majority of applica- tions are accepted. By comparison, LifelineWA notes that WA’s suicide rate is 381 per year, or one per day on average, placing it higher than the national rate (14.3 versus 12.1 deaths per 100,000). Western Australia also has the highest age-standardised suicide rate among Indige- nous people, and the second highest among children aged 5-17. VAD came into effect on 1 July 2021 in WA after it passed Parliament in December 2019, despite staunch oppo- sition from Liberal MP Nick Goiran, who debated every single clause of the bill. Ms Sanderson, who was recently made Health Min- ister, “has been an advocate for euthanasia for some time,” WA Right to Life President Steve Klomp told The Catholic Weekly . “She wrote the paper My Life, My Choice which was the basis of the WA Govern- ment’s decision to allow VAD in Western Australia. “WA Labor now has an overwhelming majority in both houses of Parliament, allowing them to act with im- punity on any issue they wish. “As a result, as well as the VAD legislation we have al- ready also seen the ‘breaking of the confessional seal’ leg- islation pass, the outlawing of prayer outside abortion clinics and other examples of anti-Christian legislation in the pipeline. “I suppose the real warn- ing for NSW is that VAD leg- islation is not something that is set and then remains so ad infinitum. “In fact wherever in the world that VAD is introduced it has been soon amended to allow even greater ‘freedom’ over death. “Close to home in Victo- ria, the Andrews government is amending the legislation to allow euthanasia for those who are not terminally ill, but are ‘tired of life,’ for example if they are old and their spouse has passed away. “These amendments gen- erally don’t take long to come about – once the genie is out of the bottle it cannot be put back in.” I n this edition News Movies, books Archbishop’s homily Editorial & Letters 1-11 8-9 21 24-25 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Kenny (02) 9390 5348 EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 Debbie Cramsie (02) 9390 5396 Adam Wesselinoff (02) 9390 5400 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 Katie Clarke (02) 9390 5402 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Faith in the trajectory of life catch it now at: thiscatholiclife.com.au Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. Level 13, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone (02) 9390 5400 | Vol 73, No 5228. The Catholic Weekly is published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney ABN 60 471 267 587 and is printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd, 24-26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204. DOWNLOAD THE OUR FAITH OUR WORKS APP Your one-stop location for Mass and Confession times, spiritual reflections and meditations, podcasts, local Catholic news, the Go Make Disciples mission plan, and much more. To download the app visit ourfaithourworks.org/app or scan the QR Code. 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Call Katie on (02) 9390 5402 www.catholicjobsonline.com. au Find the career you deserve In fact wherever in the world that VAD is introduced it has been soon amended to allow even greater ‘freedom’ over death.” Amber-Jade Sanderson Agencies concerned by ‘what-ifs’ FROM P1 She said that by imposing laws relating to life issues such as marriage, abortion and eutha- nasia the government showed a lack of understanding of the values of diverse communities. “I know that Australia is multicultural, but they are not respecting that. We start to see that our beliefs and our free- dom is not protected.” She said that if she was re- quired to permit euthanasia at Maronite Sisters Village, it could pose the question as to whether her aged care homes could remain open. “Maybe it will be. Maybe it will be,” Sr Geagea said. The facility’s governance also has input from the Moth- er-General, Maronite Bishop Antoine Tarabay and other counselors, but Sr Geagea said if the decision was sole- ly up to her, she would rather shut up shop than allow eu- thanasia. “If it belonged to me … I would close it,” she said. “We know our people, what they believe in. We know our community. Many of our peo- ple, Lebanese people, they won’t accept that.” “I’m praying that this bill will not pass.” The NSW Catholic Bishops, in their submission to the NSW Upper House inquiry on the bill, recommended significant amendments to the bill and the insertion of conscience provi- sions in both the bill’s princi- ples and in specific sections. “Requiring a faith-based hospital or aged care facility to allow any part of the eutha- nasia or assisted suicide pro- cess on its premises not only undermines the freedoms of religion and conscience, but also the freedom of associ- ation, because it insists that there be no aged care facility or hospital in the state where those who do not wish to have any part in euthanasia and assisted suicide,” the submis- sion said. “It amounts to a denial of the right of churches and faiths to establish and con- duct care institutions in ac- cord with the ethos of that church or faith.”