Belgium’s legal system has granted the wish of a long incarcerated Mass-going prisoner to die by assisted suicide. Frank Van Den Bleeken, 50, had been in prison for decades after being convicted of murder, rape and other sexual crimes. He had argued that he had no prospect of release, since he could not overcome his violent Read more
A deacon who allegedly killed at least 40 hospital patients in Belgium believes he was acting out of compassion for them, because their suffering was excessive. Although euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Ivo Poppe, 57, is facing charges because there is no evidence patients consented to his actions. Poppe allegedly killed his victims at the Read more
Belgium has taken the shocking but unsurprising step of legalising euthanasia for children. The law stipulates that the child must be terminally ill, incurably suffering and possess complete understanding of what euthanasia means. Campaigners for “assisted dying” often point out that the majority of people would back an assisted suicide law in the UK. Possibly. Read more
The government of Belgium, where euthanasia is now legal for people over the age of 18, is considering passing a law that will legalize euthanasia for children and adults with early dementia. Advocates argue that euthanasia for children, with the consent of their parents, is necessary to give families an option in a desperately painful Read more
The ideology of absolute self-determination has become sacred and unquestionable. In 2002, Belgium became the second country in the world after its neighbour, The Netherlands, to legalise euthanasia. Over the next decade our country has become a living laboratory for radical social change. With many other countries debating legalisation at the moment, now is a Read more
A New Zealand doctor now based in Britain has blown the whistle on Belgium’s euthanasia explosion — an increase of 4620 per cent in 10 years. Dr Peter Saunders, now chief executive officer of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said the number of euthanasia cases increased from 24 to 1133 in the 10 years to 2011. Read more
Antwerp Bishop Johan Bonny has said he would like to ordain married men to enrich the pastoral service the Church can offer. However he said he supported celibacy as a prophetic sign “especially in a consumer society like ours, where sexuality is sometimes trivialised”. Bishop Bonny said he thought most other Belgian bishops would also Read more
Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard, the head of the Catholic Church in Belgium, described former-Bishop Roger Vangheluwe’s TV confession that he had sexually abused two of his nephews as “inappropriate and shocking”. During the interview Vangheluwe described the abuse with one of his nephews as “a kind of game”. Disturbed by Vangheluwe’s detached and vacant tone, Archbishop Leonard said “He should not Read more
Pedophile Bishop, Roger Vangheluwe has left the French monastery where the Vatican had banished him. The head of the Brotherhood of Jerusalem, Mont-Saint Michel monastery said Vangheluwe had indicated on Saturday that he would leave shortly but could not say where he was going. Vangheluwe, who resigned a year ago as bishop of Bruges after Read more