London, England - The Roman Catholic Church is to launch its biggest ever political campaign this week in an effort to prevent assisted suicide being legalised by Parliament.
In an early strike against Lord Joffe's Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, the bishops will send out half a million anti-euthanasia leaflets and DVDs to every parish in England and Wales.
The campaign is being spearheaded by the Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Rev Peter Smith.
"It's all very well for bishops to be giving out instructions," he said. "But we need ordinary Catholics to go to peers and MPs and say we do not want this law."
Lord Joffe's Private Member's Bill, which will allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medicine to terminally ill patients, will return to the Lords in May.
Supporters say people should have the right to choose how and when they die even if this extends to obtaining assistance to commit suicide. There is evidence of growing support for a change in the law. A Daily Telegraph opinion poll last year found that 87 per cent of the public would be sympathetic.
However, the Bill will face heavy opposition from Church and other groups, including the Care Not Killing alliance, a new umbrella organisation.
The bishops will urge Catholics to join the alliance.
Archbishop Smith will tell priests in a letter that the "purpose of the alliance is to promote more and better palliative care and to oppose moves to introduce euthanasia and assisted suicide".
He said that the bishops were "encouraging as many Catholics as possible to support its work in whatever way they can", including giving money.
In an accompanying 12-page document, the bishops suggest that "a nurse, a doctor or someone concerned with bereavement care, disability issues or life issues" is made a link person for the alliance in every parish.
They ask priests to organise meetings to mobilise the faithful.
The Church of England is also urging members to lobby against the Bill.