Orthodox hierarchs in Britain have warned against assisted suicide: We must provide care, not deathtranslated

Orthodox hierarchs in Great Britain were among the signatories of an appeal against the legalization of assisted suicide. "We must provide care, not killing," the clerics said.

The letter was published ahead of the return to the UK Parliament of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would have allowed adults with less than six months to live to seek help to end their lives, under certain conditions.

Among the Orthodox signatories of the appeal are Greek Archbishop Nichita from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Antiochian Archbishop Siluan, Romanian Archbishop Athanasius, Russian Bishop Matei de Sourozh and Serbian Bishop Nectarie.

Orthodox clerics drew attention to the implications it could have on society's relationship to human life.

"Passage of this bill would divert scarce resources away from the effort to provide the best possible care to vulnerable people facing long and painful illnesses and toward providing ways to end their lives."

Enormous pressure on vulnerable people The hierarchs also referred to…