Vatican diplomat laments ageism, assisted suicide, euthanasia
September 16, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: Noting that “Pope Francis has consistently promoted old age as a blessing, rather than a burden for society,” a leading Vatican diplomat called for an increased respect for the inherent dignity of the elderly to counter the “ageism and narratives of decline” that help lead to assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, warned that “all too often, especially in the case of older persons, dignity can be qualified or conditional. It can be based on a consumerist mentality that measures human worth in terms of productivity or cost savings and efficiency.”
Referring to the “the ways in which the elderly are institutionalized or isolated and excluded from society,” the prelate said that the mentality’s
most pernicious expression can be found in cultures that have legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia. Such cultures inevitably undermine decision-making and choice in later life: older persons do not want to be seen as a burden on their families, friends or communities and such pathways provide what could be seen as an “easy solution.”
Archbishop Balestrero made his comments on September 13, during a session of the UN Human Rights Council.
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