A Swiss bishop has instructed Catholic priests not to give last rites to people suspected of seeking assisted suicide, following a sharp rise in the practice in his country.
"It is increasingly difficult to take the right decisions in the face of death – there's even a sense of helplessness," said Bishop Vitus Huonder of Chur.
"The readiness of a suffering patient to commit suicide with help from a bystander places any priest in an impossible situation if called to administer sacraments. Under such conditions, their reception is impossible – all a priest can do is offer a prayer of intercession and commend the dying to God's mercy."
