Catholic Nuns Sue New York to Stop Coercive Assisted Suicide Law

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. 

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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.

Here are comments related to the case:

Mother Mary Rose Heery, O. Carm., Prioress General of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm: 

“At our homes, we bring Christ’s unbounded love to elderly New Yorkers of every background and walk of life. We strive to bring His compassion to those entrusted to our care, ensuring that no resident ever has to die alone. This law strikes at the heart of that vocation.”  

Mother Marie Edward, O.P., Superior General of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne:  

“For over 125 years, we have ministered to the poor who are dying of cancer as if they were Christ Himself. Our calling is to offer comfort, prayer, and loving medical care to those in their final days—not death. We pray the court will protect our freedom to remain faithful to that ministry God has entrusted to us.” 

Sister Justyna Owsiejko, O.S.B., of the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict: 

“We are simple nuns whose mission is to serve God—and we do that by offering the aged a home in which to live their final days in peace, tranquility, and comfort, cared for by Sisters who see the face of Christ in each person they serve. New York is trying to force us to abandon that vocation and help our residents commit suicide. That is something we will never do. Our foundress overcame war and exile to serve those in need—we will overcome this law to do the same.” 

Mother Alice Marie Monica of the Little Sisters of the Poor: 

“We have served God by welcoming the elderly poor and dying into our homes for nearly 200 years. Our calling is to protect and care for needy seniors, not steer them toward suicide. We will remain true to that mission, whatever the cost.”  

Bishop John O. Barres, Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York: 

“We will never submit to New York’s culture of death. Assisted suicide is a grave moral failure that puts the elderly, the disabled, and those suffering from mental and emotional illness at risk of abuse and manipulation. Christ the Divine Physician calls us to accompany the sick and dying with compassion, not abandon them to death. The court should protect that millennia-old mission.”

Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the healthcare ministries: 

“New York is forcing sick and dying people to consider suicide at their lowest moment, regardless of whether they ask for it or not. Worse, it’s conscripting the nuns who care for them into its suicide cult on pain of crushing fines and professional ruin. That is both unconscionable and unconstitutional. We’re confident the federal courts will put a stop to it.”  

Becket represents the Carmelite Sisters, the Dominican Sisters, the Benedictine Sisters, and the Little Sisters of the Poor, as well as Bishop John O. Barres and the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The ministries plan to file a motion for preliminary injunction against New York in the coming days.