Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/640308
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2016 10 News JURGEN BALZAN THE right-to-die debate is poised to ruffle a few feathers and will, once again, pose a soul splitting moral dilemma for a largely con- servative country. But while the Church has a clear position against euthanasia and doctors and other medical professionals have shown a will- ingness to join the debate, poli- ticians are reluctant to deal with the delicate issue. Following the publication of an interview with ALS sufferer Joe Magro in last Sunday's edition of MaltaToday, the Church has confirmed that it has accepted to meet the 56-year-old man who is calling for the introduction of euthanasia. Speaking to MaltaToday, a Cu- ria spokesperson said "the Arch- bishop had accepted to hold a private meeting with Mr Magro. In fact, the Curia was already in contact with Mr Magro to find a mutually convenient date for the meeting to be held." While boldly saying that he will take his own life once his condi- tion reaches a stage where it de- nies him dignity, Magro called on politicians to kick-start a debate on euthanasia. But while civil liberties minister Helena Dalli was unable to an- swer MaltaToday's questions due to her presence at a UN event in New York, her opposition coun- terpart, Clyde Puli, failed to say what the party's position is and whether it intends to debate the issue internally. Instead, Puli shifted the onus upon the government. "We are not aware of any initiative on the part of the government to legal- ise euthanasia. If the government now also intends to legalise eu- thanasia it should make it clear," Puli told MaltaToday. On his part, Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola cryptically said that while the Green Party has no position on the issue, it has no intention to discuss the matter. While telling MaltaToday that he thinks there is "very little" chance of euthanasia being intro- duced, Cassola said "I believe one would need to have a lot of back- ground studies" before debating the issue at a national level. 'Sickness is not a burden' Unlike the politicians, Arch- bishop Charles Scicluna did not wait to be prompted by the media to express himself on the matter. Admittedly, the Catholic Church's clear position against euthanasia puts Scicluna at a clear advantage over the political parties. During a mass celebrated to mark the World Day of the Sick earlier this week, Scicluna did not mince his words and warned believers and Maltese society "we do not own our lives. Life is a gift of the Lord." Addressing a congregation made up of sick people and their carers, Scicluna said "sickness is not a burden, a sick person is a human being who has a right for treatment, respect and dignity." He added that at times sickness wears people down to such an ex- tent that they fall into the "temp- tation" of wishing for death. Interestingly, Scicluna added "we should not exaggerate in stretching life to extraordinary lengths" because this is not in- cluded in the Church's teachings and does not make sense to ex- tend pain. Yet he said that humans have no right to take it upon them- selves to decide when life should end, adding that at times the big- gest pain is not physical but that caused by solitude and depres- sion. A Curia spokesperson told Mal- taToday that "the basic principle Politicians shy away from taking While Church underlines 'sacredness' of human life, politicians stave off euthanasia debate ALS sufferer Joe Magro, wants to die in dignity