by Ryan Colby, Anglican Ink
In a courageous stand for faith, conscience, and dignity of the dying, four orders of Catholic nuns and several Catholic healthcare ministries sued New York on Friday over a new law that forces them to help terminally ill patients kill themselves in violation of their faith. In Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm v. James, Becket is asking a federal court to block the law before it takes effect on August 5, when healthcare providers who refuse to take part in assisted suicide will face crippling fines, professional sanctions, and criminal penalties.
For generations, Catholic healthcare ministries have been a refuge for the sick, elderly, and dying across New York. Guided by the belief that every life is a precious gift, nuns like the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor offer those nearing death expert medical care, prayer, and loving accompaniment until God calls them home. The Diocese of Rockville Centre likewise shares this commitment to care for the sick, elderly, and dying throughout Long Island.
Following their Catholic faith, these ministries cannot prescribe lethal suicide drugs, direct patients to obtain them, or help facilitate a patient’s suicide in any way. Yet New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID) will force them to do exactly that. Beginning August 5, any healthcare provider who declines to prescribe suicide pills could still have to tell terminally ill patients about their “right” to kill themselves, help them meet the requirements for obtaining suicide pills, and direct them to a provider willing to prescribe the lethal drugs. Refusal invites significant fines, license revocation, or even time behind bars. Federal law forbids New York from discriminating against healthcare providers who object to assisted suicide, but New York has done so anyway. Becket is asking the court to stop New York from forcing these ministries into the impossible choice between their faith and their mission to serve—and to protect vulnerable patients from being pushed toward assisted suicide at their lowest moment.