The Portuguese Parliament Rejects Euthanasia

On May 29, 2018, the Portuguese Parliament refused four bills to legalize euthanasia.
Over the past few months, the Catholic Church has conducted a number of public actions to raise awareness among Portuguese politicians on the protection of the life of the most vulnerable.
The Portuguese Federation for Life launched a campaign on the theme: “Every life has its dignity”.
These efforts have not been fruitless. On May 29, the major bill on euthanasia presented by the Socialist Party was refused by a slight majority, with a vote of 115 to 110, with two abstentions.
“It is not the autonomy of the patient that would be strengthened by such a law,” declared a spokesman for the CDS-PP (the conservative people’s party); “instead, it would increase the power of third parties over the lives of others, and that is what is dangerous.”
Even the PCP (Portuguese Communist Party) opposed the Socialist bill: “One does not protect the dignity of life by legalizing the right to anticipate one’s death,” declared the Communist deputy António Filipe.
The cardinal-patriarch of Lisbon, Cardinal Manuel Clemente, hailed the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
Nonetheless, their “no” to euthanasia was weak. How long will Portugal hold out against the pressure groups that will not fail to mount new attacks as they have done for all their previous battles: divorce, birth control, abortion, homosexuality, etc? May Our Lady of Fatima bless Portugal!
Sources: Ecclesia / Observador / FSSPX.News – 6/4/2018