The leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has said he wishes Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was alongside him as the assisted dying debate in Parliament edges closer.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols said he regrets Mr Welby’s absence from the conversation after the Church of England leader announced he was quitting over failures in handling an abuse scandal.
Mr Welby had warned last month, as the assisted dying Bill was being officially introduced in Parliament, of a “slippery slope” in terms of who would be eligible for such a service if it was legalised.
On November 12, Mr Welby announced he would be standing down after an independent review concluded serial abuser John Smyth might have been brought to justice had the church leader formally reported him to police more than a decade ago.