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CV NEWS FEED // West Virginia is projected to pass a constitutional amendment that will prohibit the practice of assisted suicide, euthanasia, and “mercy” killing in the state.
Amendment 1 is a measure to prohibit these lethal acts in the state, as CatholicVote previously reported.
At the time of publication, according to Ballotpedia, the unofficial results of the measure indicate that it will narrowly pass. With 95% of precincts reporting, the measure so far has 50.44% of votes in support of it, and 49.56% of votes against it.
In October, Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, wrote a pastoral letter about several dangers of assisted suicide and encouraged voters to support Referendum 1.
“Our lives are a gift that we did not earn but which we must cherish,” he wrote.
West Virginia voters’ support of constitutionally outlawing assisted suicide marks an outward pro-life contrast to states, such as Oregon, and to countries, such as Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands, where the deadly practice is legal.
In his October letter, Bishop Brennan had mentioned the continually worsening conditions in Oregon and Canada, and pointed out that in countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, “the death march has slipped farther down the slope” since legalizing the practice.
“Where does medically assisted suicide end? In more and more graves,” Bishop Brennan wrote, later urging: “Take the issue of medically assisted suicide seriously.”
In a November 6 statement regarding the amendment’s projected passing, Bishop Brennan emphasized that voters have prioritized embracing family members instead of rejecting them.
“We are grateful that West Virginia voters have chosen to love, care, and comfort their family members rather than toss them aside,” said Bishop Brennan in an email statement to CatholicVote.
He added, “Each and every one of us is a gift from God and it is up to us to cherish that gift until we return to Him according to His divine will.”
