Rome, 12 September 2017. The Superior General of the Brothers of Charity, Bro. René Stockman, took note of the position of the Board of Directors of the Brothers of Charity Organization in Belgium regarding the application of euthanasia for non-terminal psychiatric patients.
He deplores the fact that there is no willingness to negotiate the vision text still. He does not understand that a board of directors does not want to take into account experts from the field that have expressed clear objections to the text. He also regrets that the scheduled talks, led by Prof. Rik Torfs, who would act as mediator, were shot down because Prof. Rik Torfs could no longer put his trust in the Brothers of Charity Organization in Belgium. However, at the Vatican, a provisional postponement of the set ultimatum that expired on 11 September, was obtained, exactly to allow for a dialogue between the General Administration and the Belgian organization.
The Superior General remains open to dialogue, provided that this dialogue is about the content of the vision text, and thus whether or not to apply euthanasia within the walls of the institutions of the Brothers of Charity, and not about a “modus vivendi”. He will however resubmit the current situation to the competent authorities in the Vatican before taking further action. This should take place in the week of September 25 next.
Seeing that the Superior General is currently in DR Congo, he is not available for further comment.