The bill, introduced on 27 May, is set to be more permissive than existing laws in Canada and Belgium.

A commission of 71 parliamentarians reviewed over 3,000 amendments in May before presenting the bill.

Controversially, the bill allows euthanasia for patients with psychiatric conditions and even children. This is similar to Belgium's liberal laws on physician-assisted suicide.

Catholic leaders have voiced strong opposition. Archbishop Pierre d'Ornellas of Rennes and Archbishop Vincent Jordy of Tours, vice president of the Bishops' Conference of France, condemned the bill.

"The dignity of a human society consists in accompanying life until death, not in facilitating death" the French bishops declared.

Despite the strong Catholic opposition, public opinion in France seems largely supportive. Polls suggest that 90% of citizens favour "active assistance in dying".

End of Christian influence in France

However Father Bruno Saintôt, head of the Biomedical Ethics Department at Paris' Centre Sèvres, cautioned that poll questions might be leading and influencing responses towards favouring euthanasia.

"If people are asked whether they would like to be able to shorten their lives in the event of suffering deemed unbearable, the question is bound to elicit a positive response" said Father Saintôt, who is also an expert in this field for the French bishops' conference.

"The terms ‘euthanasia' and ‘assisted suicide' are not mentioned in the government's bill even though they are central to it" Father Saintôt pointed out. "It is a serious matter to want to numb consciences in this way!"

For Father Saintôt, the bill is "the marker of the end of a society influenced by Christianity".

French President Emmanuel Macron initiated the debate on the bill which he dubbed a "law of fraternity".

Nonetheless, Catholic leaders and several caregivers emphasise the importance of upholding ethical standards and the need for better palliative care.

"The new law facilitating access to death will considerably weaken palliative care" Father Saintôt stressed. "Active assistance in dying will appear as the solution to the shortcomings of palliative care. It will be easier, less costly and will become the norm" the bioethics expert said, pointing to the brutal truth that euthanasia is simply cheaper.

The National Assembly is set for two weeks of discussions on the bill, with a vote scheduled for 11 June. If passed, the bill will move to the Senate in the autumn. Political parties have left the vote to individual deputies' consciences, reflecting the bill's contentious nature.

Sources

America Magazine

The Catholic Weekly

CathNews New Zealand

The introduction of these wallet-sized ID cards aims to enhance transparency within the Catholic Church and clamp down on sexual abuse. However, the move has received mixed reactions from sex abuse survivor groups.

Upon scanning the QR code with a mobile phone, a green, orange, or red light will appear, indicating the priest's status and career history.

The primary purpose of the ID card is to confirm whether a priest is qualified to conduct mass or hear confessions, while also disclosing if he has been stripped of his clerical status.

Although the card does not provide explicit details about the reasons for the loss of clerical status, the red colour code acts as an early warning signal that the priest may have faced sexual abuse charges.

By simply scanning the QR code on the ID card, anyone can access colour-coded information about a clergy member.

A green light signifies no restrictions on their ability to lead mass or hear confessions. An orange light indicates some limitations, which may be due to factors other than abuse, such as recent ordination.

The red light is reserved for individuals who can no longer practice as clergy or have been stripped of their clerical status, without specifying the exact nature of the sanction.

Currently, French Catholic priests are required to possess a "celebret," a paper document confirming their profession and qualifications. Critics argue that these documents are burdensome to keep updated, leading to calls for a centralised digital database.

"One of the Catholic Church's top three most stupid ideas"

Christine Pedotti, who runs the Christian weekly magazine "Témoignage Chrétien" (Christian Witness), said the paper IDs "had always been used by priests while travelling, for example, to prove to another priest that they were authorised to co-lead a mass."

"Today's updated digital version is more modern and has a new feature that allows someone to check whether the priest has been suspended. It's a good idea given the current context, and should prove quite useful," she said.

However, the move has been described as a public relations stunt by abuse survivor groups critical of the change.

"It's quite an exceptional measure which, in my opinion, is one of the Catholic Church's top three most stupid ideas," said François Devaux, former president of La Parole Libérée (The Liberated Word), told France 24, the French international news television network

He called the ID cards a "publicity stunt" and said, "This new ineptitude is a sign of the Church's idleness."

Despite the backlash, the French Catholic Church says the cards are just one of many solutions to combat sexual abuse.

The French Bishop's Conference says bishops have already received their cards, and all 18,000 priests and deacons across the country will receive their QR codes by the end of the year.

Sources

The Telegraph

The Messenger

France24

The 120 bishops are meeting to pour over a shock report released last month that detailed child abuse of more than 200,000 minors spanning 70 years.

The findings of the Sauvé report on sexual abuse in the Church horrified the nation after revealing around 3,000 clergy sexually abused 216,000 minors from 1950 to 2020.

The commission stated the abuse was a "massive phenomenon" covered up for decades by a "veil of silence".

The nearly 2,500-page report found that the "vast majority" of victims were pre-adolescent boys from various social backgrounds.

The bishops conference agenda suggests the meeting attendees will "fight against violence and sexual aggression directed at minors".

The gathering, which started with a period of silence to honour the victims, is taking place in Lourdes, a Catholic holy site and one of the world's top pilgrimage destinations.

Some victims were invited to join the meeting. However, many declined, denouncing the decision to make the sexual abuse scandal just one of several topics — rather than the sole issue on the agenda.

Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF), who co-requested the report, expressed his "shame and horror" at the findings. At the same time, Pope Francis said he felt "great sorrow".

Jean-Luc Souveton, a priest who was sexually abused, said he would attend both a plenary session and a special session dedicated to the abuses. He hoped to make the bishops understand why more victims had not turned up.

"I don't represent those who are staying away. But, I want to make their presence felt if only to say why they didn't come," Souveton told AFP.

Many bishops declined to comment when approached by La Croix for comment on the report, but a few did respond.

Bishop Marc Beaumont, head of the Diocese of Moulins, did not hide that he feels as "helpless" as "a mouse in front of a mountain".

"It is a time of considerable trial, we are stunned," said Bishop Hubert Herbreteau, who has led the Diocese of Agen in southern France since 2005.

Bishop Jean-Luc Brunin of Le Havre was just as dumbfounded.

"I am stunned by the numbers. It's really frightening," said the 70-year-old prelate, who has been a bishop for nearly 22 years.

"I have mixed feelings," said Archbishop Herbreteau.

"I feel great pain, suffering, and even shame. But, at the same time, I realize that the work has opened, that there is a challenge to be met," he said.

Sources

• France24
• La Croix
• EuroNews