Belgian King signs law extending euthanasia to children

The head of state has completely fulfilled his constitutional role despite various pressures.

King Philippe signed the law this Sunday on the extension of euthanasia to minors. This was the last thing expected in the tracking process of the law since its adoption by the House, two weeks having elapsed after having been in the Senate. An extension of euthanasia wished for and passed by majorities consisting mainly of PS, MR, Ecolo-Groen and N-VA but certainly not unanimously within them as other members from these parties abstained or voted against in the name of freedom of conscience. As to whether the signature was under the law fifteen days after its approval by the Head of State, it appears that this is a time quite normal although in this matter, there are no specific laws.

The head of state has completely fulfilled its constitutional role despite various pressures not least of which was a petition, CitizenGO, a Spanish Catholic foundation attached to traditional values ​​and fundamental family life. The latter was itself distributed on the initiative of a couple of Austrian Catholics, Gudrun and Martin Kluger, the parents of a large family, very involved in various Catholic associations.

Their petition has collected more than 200,000 signatures mainly from abroad where they obviously do not know all the ins and outs of the royal sanction and promulgation of a law in Belgium. Something which obviously was also forgotten that if the name of his conscience, King Baudouin did not sign the law on decriminalization of abortion, he at the same time asked the government of the day to do everything possible to work for it to be sanctioned and promulgated.

Source

Cathcon- no surprise in the land whose chief prelate for decades was Cardinal Danneels.