Catholic Groups Sue to Block New York's Assisted Dying Law

A coalition of Catholic healthcare providers filed suit July 17 in federal court in Albany, New York, challenging the state’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. The Free Press reported the complaint names 13 plaintiffs, including the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and Catholic Health, a network of five Long Island hospitals.

The law, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in February, takes effect August 5 and allows terminally ill patients with a prognosis of six months or less to request drugs to end their lives.

It operates alongside the Palliative Care Information Act, which requires doctors and nurse practitioners to inform such patients of all end-of-life options, including assisted dying, whether or not the patient asks. The plaintiffs argue the statute forces religious workers to compromise their faith. ” The case was filed in the Northern District of New York.