French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, exit a polling booth adorned with curtains displaying the colors of the flag of France before casting their ballot for the European Parliament election at a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France, on June 9, 2024. / Credit: HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
CNA Staff, Jun 11, 2024 / 12:45 pm (CNA).
France’s controversial euthanasia bill has been put on hold following French President Emmanuel Macron’s dissolution of the country’s National Assembly after major losses in this month’s European elections.
The June elections in the European Parliament saw major advances from right-of-center parties, including from France’s National Rally party, which made huge gains relative to Macron’s Renaissance party.
Centrist groups still command a majority in the continental parliament. But the results were devastating enough to mainstream politicians that Macron invoked French law to dissolve his own country’s National Assembly in order to hold “snap elections” in the hopes of shoring up centrist control of France itself.
The surprise move means all legislation currently under consideration in France has been put on hold, including the country’s controversial assisted suicide bill, which Macron earlier this year said might allow “the possibility of asking for help in dying under certain strict conditions.”
The French bishops had criticized the country’s efforts to legalize assisted suicide. Reims Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort said earlier this year that the measure would “shift our entire health care system toward death as a solution.”
Lille Archbishop Laurent Le Boulc’h likewise warned that assisted suicide could hasten the death of individuals who see themselves as burdens upon others, arguing that the proposal risks “further increasing the depressed character of our society in loss of hope.”
Numerous European countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, already allow various forms of assisted suicide and euthanasia.
France’s surprise parliamentary elections will be held in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Capella di Santa Rosa, St. Rosalia’s Chapel inside of the Palermo Cathedral, Basilica Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale della Santa Vergine Maria Assunta in Sicily, Itay. May 5, 2022. / Credit: Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images
Palermo, Italy, Jul 15, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).
The city of Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the feast day of its beloved patron, St. Rosalia, affectionately known as “la Santuzza” in Sicilian dialect.
The July 15 feast marks when tradition holds the hermit girl’s remains were rediscovered in a cave close to Palermo in 1624. Her intercession, begged by carrying her relics in solemn procession through the Spanish-ruled city, is said to have saved its inhabitants from plague 400 years ago this summer.
“‘Per amore Domini mei,’ [‘for love of my Lord’] is the motive St. Rosalia invokes in surrendering one’s existence and abandoning the wealth of the world,” Pope Francis said in a message sent to Archbishop Corrado Lorefice of Palermo July 8.
“The life of the Christian, both in the times when our hermit Virgin lived and in our days, is constantly marked by the cross,” the pontiff said. “Christians are those who always love, but often in circumstances where love is not understood or is even rejected.”
St. Rosalia is believed to have been born around 1130 to a family of Norman origin that boasted to be descended from Charlemagne. She lived about 60 years after the Norman conquest of Palermo, which saw the city returned to Christianity after a period of Arab and Muslim rule.
Despite belonging to a noble family, Rosalia renounced her riches to live as a hermit in a cave on Mount Pellegrino, just north of the city.
Capella di Santa Rosa, St. Rosalia’s Chapel inside of the Palermo Cathedral, Basilica Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale della Santa Vergine Maria Assunta in Sicily, Italy, May 4, 2022. Credit: Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images
According to popular belief, St. Rosalia was led to the cave by angels and wrote on the cave wall: “I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of [Monte] delle Rose, and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ.” She died in the cave, poor and alone, around 1166, while only in her mid-30s.
The groundbreaking for the construction of the Palermo cathedral began two decades later, in 1185.
But the remains of the holy young woman would not be found until over 400 years later, when, the tradition says, Rosalia appeared to a hunter, to whom she indicated where her relics could be found.
Rosalia’s remains were carried around Palermo three times in procession, as she had indicated to do in her apparition to the hunter, and a plague then ravaging the city ceased.
From that point onward, Rosalia, called “la Santuzza” (“the little saint” in English), has been the patron saint of Palermo.
The Palermo Archdiocese marks her feast day with a week of religious and cultural events leading up to the grand finale on July 15: a solemn procession of her relics through the city’s main streets followed by a fireworks show on the steps of the cathedral.
But the night prior, on July 14, the city takes part in a less devotional spectacle: a parade of colorful floats and a statue of the saint, which goes from the Palace of the Normans, a governmental building, to the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
To mark the feast’s 400th anniversary, the archdiocese and city have been celebrating a Rosalian jubilee year to conclude on Rosalia’s other feast day, Sept. 4.
“The happy occurrence of the fourth centenary of the discovery of the body of St. Rosalia is a special occasion to unite myself spiritually with you, dear sons and daughters of the Church of Palermo, who wish to raise to the heavenly Father, the source of all grace, praise for the gift of such a sublime figure of a woman and ‘apostle,’ who did not hesitate to accept the trials of loneliness for love of her Lord,” Pope Francis said in his message last week.
“With Rosalia, woman of hope, I therefore exhort you: Church of Palermo stand up! Be beacons of new hope, be a living community that, regenerated by the blood of the martyrs, gives true and luminous witness to Christ our Savior,” he continued. “People of God in this blessed stretch of land, do not lose hope and do not give in to discouragement. Rediscover the joy of wonder before the embrace of a Father who calls you to himself and leads you on the paths of life to savor the fruits of harmony and peace.”
Gilmour Street train station in Paisley, Scotland. / Credit: Lachlan1/Shutterstock
London, England, Nov 17, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The new president of the bishops of Scotland is taking the Church’s message to “the streets” by joining in the ev… […]
The Catholic Church has a strong stance against euthanasia, considering it morally unacceptable and a grave offense against human dignity. In its teachings, the Church emphasizes the importance of preserving life, even in the face of suffering or terminal illness. Those who are considering euthanasia should carefully consider the moral implications of their actions and the potential consequences for their soul. As an alternative, individuals can leave posthumous messages on sites such as Goodbyememo, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings in a way that respects their dignity and the dignity of others. This approach can provide a sense of closure and peace for both the individual and their loved ones, while also upholding the Church’s values of compassion and respect for human life.
First good news out of France in a long time!
The Catholic Church has a strong stance against euthanasia, considering it morally unacceptable and a grave offense against human dignity. In its teachings, the Church emphasizes the importance of preserving life, even in the face of suffering or terminal illness. Those who are considering euthanasia should carefully consider the moral implications of their actions and the potential consequences for their soul. As an alternative, individuals can leave posthumous messages on sites such as Goodbyememo, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings in a way that respects their dignity and the dignity of others. This approach can provide a sense of closure and peace for both the individual and their loved ones, while also upholding the Church’s values of compassion and respect for human life.