{"id":18028,"date":"2026-02-14T08:33:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T13:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/?p=18028"},"modified":"2026-02-14T08:40:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T13:40:38","slug":"newsletter-february-14-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/newsletter-february-14-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Interventions Alongside the French Debate on Assisted Dying, \u201cCompassionate Support\u201d Guidelines, and Press Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Dear allies,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The bills on assisted dying and palliative care\nreturn to the French National Assembly on Monday, February 16th, with a solemn\nvote expected on the 24th. Alongside these debates, we are sharing with you today\nstatements from the French National Medical Council, the French National\nNursing Council, and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative\nCare.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

This newsletter also presents the new document\nproposed by the Catholic Bishops of Qu\u00e9bec on \u201cpastoral support for people at\nthe end of life.\u201d As a citizen network, we have often hesitated to share\nstatements from religious groups so as not to cloud the issues. We now believe\nthat our non-political and non-religious approach should never prevent us from\nhighlighting voices from civil society that allow for constructive dialogue on\nend-of-life issues.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

We welcome your feedback on this choice. We\nconsider it consistent with our desire to engage as widely as possible on\nissues that matter both to you and to us.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Happy\nCarnival to everyone celebrating in Qu\u00e9bec city (the best!) or elsewhere,
\n
\n<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>

Jasmin\nLemieux-Lefebvre
\nCoordinator
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Debates in France: Statements from the French National Medical Council and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A few days before the resumption of discussions\non the bill regarding <\/span>the right to assisted dying<\/a> and the bill aimed <\/span>at guaranteeing equal access for all\nto support and palliative care<\/a>, we would like to share two statements published this week that\ncontrast with the Qu\u00e9bec landscape, where medical assistance in dying is an\nintegral part of the continuum of care.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

1) International Association for Hospice and\nPalliative Care (IAHPC)<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>

Excerpt (<\/span>full letter on the LinkedIn page of\nDr. Claire Fourcade<\/a>,\nHead of Advocacy at the French Society for Hospice and Palliative Care):<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

In 2020, the International Association for\nHospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC), as a non-state actor in official relations\nwith the WHO, published a definition based on a global consensus process,\ndrawing on the WHO\u2019s 2002 definition. Palliative care is defined as:<\/o:p><\/i><\/p>

\u201cthe active and comprehensive care of people of\nall ages experiencing suffering due to a serious illness, particularly those\napproaching the end of life.\u201d<\/o:p><\/i><\/p>

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>

Among its various components, this definition\nacknowledges that palliative care aims neither to hasten nor to delay death,\nthat it affirms life, and that it considers death a natural process. This\narticle has been cited more than 2,200 times by the international scientific\ncommunity. The IAHPC\u2019s position is that no country or state should consider\nlegalizing euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide until universal access to\npalliative care and appropriate medications is guaranteed.<\/o:p><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Screenshot of the letter from the IAHPC.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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2) French National Medical and Nursing Councils<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>

Excerpt (<\/span>full text<\/a>):<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\n\n\n\n<\/p>

(They) strongly reaffirm that the absolute\npriority must be the implementation of a genuine national palliative care\npolicy. This policy should ensure the deployment of palliative care teams in\nall departments, as well as the creation and ramping up of hospice and\npalliative care facilities adapted to the needs of patients and their families.\nPhysicians and nurses must \u201caccompany the dying person until their last\nmoments, ensuring, through appropriate care and measures, the quality of a life\nthat is ending, safeguarding the dignity of the patient, and comforting their\nloved ones.\u201d They cannot deliberately cause death.<\/o:p><\/i><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cCompassionate Support,\u201d the Cornerstone of a New Document by Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s Catholic Bishops<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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On the occasion of World Day of the Sick\n(February 11th), the Assembl\u00e9e des \u00e9v\u00eaques catholiques du Qu\u00e9bec (AECQ) \/ Assembly\nof Catholic Bishops of Qu\u00e9bec <\/b>released a document entitled Pastoral\nSupport Guidelines for People at the End of Life<\/i>. We invite you to consult\nthis 35-page document, which reflects the approach of a civil society actor\nwhose voice continues to have a significant impact within Qu\u00e9bec society.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The motivations for promoting palliative care\nand respectfully opposing medical assistance in dying and overtreatment can be\nvaried. We commend the cornerstone idea developed in this tool: compassionate\nsupport.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

From a practical perspective, we are\nparticularly interested in the questions raised on page 7 of the document. Many\npassages address anyone questioning a loved one\u2019s end-of-life choices. <\/span>Examples\ninclude:<\/o:p><\/p>