The vote, passing with a 64-29 margin, marks a significant step toward legalizing the practice in Uruguay, a country increasingly distant from its Catholic roots.
Newsroom (22/08/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a somber statement, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Uruguay (CEU) expressed profound sorrow following the Aug. 13 approval of a bill decriminalizing euthanasia by the nation’s lower house of Congress. The vote, passing with a 64-29 margin, marks a significant step toward legalizing the practice in Uruguay, a country increasingly distant from its Catholic roots.
“We reiterate our support for palliative care that cares for and accompanies the patient with dignity,” the bishops declared in their Aug. 13 statement, signed by Bishop Milton Tróccoli of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas, conference president; Cardinal Daniel Sturla of Montevideo, vice president; and Bishop Heriberto Bodeant of Canelones, secretary general. Their words reflect the Church’s unwavering commitment to the sanctity of life, even amid suffering.
Legislative Push and Political Support
The so-called Dignified Death Law garnered support primarily from the leftist Broad Front coalition, with some backing from the more conservative Colorado Party. The bill now advances to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain. President Yamandú Orsi, while expressing cautious support for the measure, emphasized the need for “extreme care and safeguards” to prevent abuse.
In a meeting with Orsi on Aug. 5, CEU leaders underscored the Church’s position, advocating for compassionate alternatives to euthanasia. “We wanted to emphasize everything that can be done positively, that is, to promote care and support for people in their suffering,” Bishop Bodeant told reporters, according to the CEU. While the bishops did not explicitly call for a presidential veto, they made clear their opposition, urging a focus on palliative care as a moral and ethical response to terminal illness.
Provisions of the Proposed Law
The bill permits euthanasia for adults deemed “mentally fit” who face a “terminal stage of an incurable and irreversible pathology” and endure “unbearable suffering” that severely diminishes their quality of life. Such individuals, the law states, may request euthanasia to achieve a “painless, peaceful” death that respects their dignity. Yet, the bishops warn that such provisions, however well-intentioned, cross a moral line by sanctioning the deliberate termination of human life.
A Firm Catholic Stance
Since the bill’s introduction, Uruguay’s bishops have been vocal in their opposition. In April, they issued a comprehensive document titled Facing the End of Life with Love, which condemned euthanasia as fundamentally incompatible with the medical vocation. “Physicians should never be involved in conduct that actively causes the death of another human being,” the bishops wrote. They further argued that “killing a patient is unethical, even to spare them pain and suffering, even if they expressly request it.” In contrast, they endorsed palliative sedation as a morally acceptable means of alleviating suffering without hastening death.
The CEU’s stance aligns with the Church’s broader teaching on the sanctity of life, rooted in the belief that no individual—whether patient, healthcare provider, or family member—has the authority to decide or cause another’s death. “Ultimately, such an action constitutes homicide carried out in a clinical context,” the bishops stated, framing euthanasia as a grave violation of human dignity.
A Shifting Cultural Landscape
The euthanasia debate unfolds against the backdrop of Uruguay’s growing secularization. According to the Latinobarómetro survey, 47% of Uruguayans profess no faith, making the nation one of the least religious in Latin America. Public support for the euthanasia bill remains strong, with a Cifra poll indicating 62% of Uruguayans favor its passage. This cultural shift places Uruguay alongside Colombia and Ecuador, the only Latin American nations to have legalized euthanasia following constitutional court rulings.
As the bill moves to the Senate, the Catholic Church in Uruguay stands as a prophetic voice, calling for a renewed commitment to palliative care and the defense of life from conception to natural death. For the bishops, the issue is clear: true dignity lies not in hastening death but in accompanying the suffering with love and compassion, reflecting the mercy of Christ himself.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
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