Monotheistic faiths sign joint paper against euthanasia

Christian, Jewish and Muslim envoys sign and submit to Pope Francis a joint document that denounces euthanasia and assisted suicide as “inherently” wrong acts that should be forbidden.

“The three Abrahamic monotheistic religions share common goals and are in complete agreement in their approach to end-of-life situations,” the document says. “Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are inherently and consequentially morally and religiously wrong and should be forbidden with no exceptions. Any pressure upon dying patients to end their lives by active and deliberate actions is categorically rejected.”

It is signed at the Vatican by David Rosen for the American Jewish Committee, Vincenzo Paglia for the Vatican, a representative for the Orthodox Church, and Samsul Anwar from the Indonesian Muhammadiyah, an Islamic social and cultural association.

The idea came from Avraham Steinberg, co-president of the Israeli National Council on Bioethics.

“I think it is by itself an historic event that the three major religions come together, talk to each other, agree on something and even sign on it,” Steinberg tells a press conference

— AFP