Life should be cherished even when it becomes a heavy burden as a result of aging or terminal illness, Archbishop Charles Scicluna said.

Photo: Photocity, Valletta

n his homily on the occasion of Jum il-Hajja, held at St John’s CoCathedral in Valletta, Mgr Scicluna spoke about the dangers of euthanasia and assisted suicide and said that he understood the temptation to say that it was dignified to stop one’s discomfort and suffering.

It was a major temptation and one had no right to condemn those who considered ending their life in the face of such burden.

But one should never stop reflecting.

If one believed one was the owner of his life, one would have lost direction because that would also make him the owner of other people's lives.

The commandment ”thou shalt not kill” was there to provide protection in every circumstance, even when one was at his most vulnerable, the archbishop said.