Catholic Church solicits money to defeat assisted suicide initiative

JOSEPH TURNER AND ANNA WALTERS

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Catholic parishes in Washington, including in Bellingham, have started passing the collection basket on Sundays to raise money for the campaign to defeat the assisted suicide measure on the November ballot.

Labor Day weekend was the official kickoff of an "educational program for parishes," an effort organized by the Washington State Catholic Conference, the lobbying and public policy arm of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church is the main contributor to the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide, the group that has formed to fight Initiative 1000, which supporters call the Death with Dignity campaign.

But despite raising nearly $400,000 in contributions against I-1000, the church and the rest of the coalition are far behind the Yes on 1000 campaign. Supporters of the measure have raised $1.8 million.

I-1000, patterned after a 10-year-old law in Oregon, would allow people with terminal illnesses to obtain prescriptions for lethal doses of drugs if two doctors agree the person has less than six months to live and is not just suffering from depression. Former Gov. Booth Gardner, who has given $170,000 to the campaign, is the measure's prime sponsor.

Sister Sharon Park, executive director of the state Catholic Conference, said the education program focuses on many end of life issues and decisions, such as when to take a loved one off life support. But with elections approaching, the campaign also strives to educate parishioners about the dangers of Initiative 1000, which would legalize physician-assisted suicide, and to raise money for the opposition.

Greg Magnoni, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Seattle, said Archbishop Alex Brunett and the other two bishops have authorized 290 local parishes to take up a collection for the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide.

Bellingham's Assumption Catholic Church, 2116 Cornwall Ave., included a flyer in the Sunday, Aug. 31, church bulletin explaining I-1000's risks. Envelopes, addressed to the Catholic Campaign Against Assisted Suicide, were attached so parishioners could send a donation.

Assumption also asked its parishioners to sign a petition opposing physician-assisted suicide in Washington state.

"We, as a church, really want to stand up for what we believe in - the sacredness of human life," said Assumption Church's pastor, Scott Connolly. "While they (supporters of I-1000) refer to it as 'death with dignity,' it's assisted suicide. We want people to die with dignity, don't get me wrong, we just don't think that how people die should be left in the hands of an individual or a doctor."

Anne Martens, spokeswoman for the Yes on 1000 campaign, said the initiative campaign is about choice.

"We respect everybody's faith, but we don't think they (Catholics) should impose it on the entire state," Martens said. "All I-1000 does is give people the option of death with dignity."

Martens said the two campaigns are about evenly matched when it comes to cash on hand. Most of the $1.8 million raised by supporters was spent gathering signatures on petitions to get the measure on the ballot.

She said supporters also will have to raise more money.

"We need to raise enough money to go on television with the ads that are effective in any campaign," she said. "We don't have the organized reach that the Catholic Church has, but we do have a lot of small donors."

While churches can pass the basket and collect money for the I-1000 opposition campaign, they must keep that money separate from general church contributions, said Chris Carlson, chairman of the coalition against I-1000. Each donor must identify himself for reporting to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Churches, however, also are allowed to contribute money from their general fund to the campaign, he said.

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Thursday, Sep. 04, 2008

Catholic Church solicits money to defeat assisted suicide initiative

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