Rome, Jan. 23, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the president of the Italian bishops’ conference, reaffirmed the Church’s opposition to euthanasia during comments on January 22. Cardinal Ruini also sharply criticized government proposals for legal recognition of same-sex unions.
 
 The strong public statement on euthanasia by the head of the Italian episcopal conference appeared to be a response to remarks by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the former Archbishop of Milan, who had voiced his sympathy for relatives of the late Dr. Piergiorgio Welby, an outspoken “right to die” advocate. Welby was denied a Catholic funeral by the Rome diocese after he died when his respirator was unplugged in accordance with his wishes.
 
 Cardinal Martini had questioned the decision to bar a funeral. But Cardinal Ruini said that a church service for a notorious proponent of assisted suicide “would have legitimized an attitude that is contrary to God’s laws.”