Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 20
Catholic Nuns Sue New York Over Assisted Suicide Law for 10-Plus Religious Plaintiffs
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 20

Catholic Nuns Sue New York Over Assisted Suicide Law for 10-Plus Religious Plaintiffs

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 20

Summary

  • More than 10 Catholic plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit Friday, saying New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act unlawfully forces nuns, dioceses and faith-based providers to take part in assisted suicide.
  • The complaint says the law would require counseling terminally ill patients about physician-assisted suicide, making referrals, allowing staff assistance and, in some cases, accommodating the practice in religious facilities.
  • Plaintiffs including the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Carmelite Sisters, the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and Catholic Health argue those mandates violate the First Amendment and federal healthcare protections.
  • New York’s law, signed in February, allows adults 18 and older with terminal illness and six months or less to live to request and self-administer life-ending medication.
  • The suit extends a broader clash between Catholic providers and New York regulations; the Dominican Sisters separately sued in April over a long-term care residents’ rights rule they say also threatens penalties for following church teaching.

Insights

When a state legalizes assisted death, can it force religious caregivers to become part of the process against their beliefs?
With assisted death costing less than long-term care, how can safeguards truly protect vulnerable patients from financial or societal pressure?