Federal judge blocks New York assisted suicide mandate for Catholic religious sisters, ministries
The temporary agreement protects faith-based end-of-life care while a broader legal fight over religious freedom moves forward.
A federal judge July 30 temporarily barred New York from enforcing the state's assisted-suicide mandate against several Catholic healthcare ministries while the court considers the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction.
The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm are among four orders of Catholic sisters protected under the agreement after Becket filed a federal lawsuit on their behalf July 17 against New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to a July 31 press release from the religious liberty law firm. The lawsuit challenges New York’s Medical pro-assisted suicide Medical Aid in Dying Act, which was signed into law this year and is scheduled to take effect Aug. 5.
The temporary agreement prevents New York from requiring the ministries to counsel terminally ill patients about assisted suicide, help patients qualify for the deadly practice, or refer them to institutions that participate in assisted suicide while the lawsuit moves forward. According to Becket, the ministries had faced the threat of fines, professional sanctions, and criminal penalties for refusing to comply.
The other ministries involved in the case include the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Diocese of Rockville Centre and Bishop John Barres are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Mother Mary Rose Heery, O. Carm., prioress general of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, said the decision allows the sisters to continue accompanying residents with the compassionate, faith-based care that has long defined their ministry.
“Families entrust their loved ones to us because they know our homes will be places of tenderness, dignity, and faithful care,” she said. “We are grateful that we can continue honoring that trust and remain beside every resident until the very end.”
Sister Justyna Owsiejko, O.S.B., of the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict said in the release that the judge’s decision offers peace to those the sisters care for.
“Our home exists so that elderly people can spend their final days surrounded by peace, prayer, and the Sisters who love them,” she said. “For now, they can rest assured that assisted suicide will not be forced into the sanctuary they call home.”
The lawsuit comes amid a series of legal disputes between New York and Catholic ministries. The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne are also challenging New York's 2023 long-term care law, arguing it forces Catholic ministries to choose between complying with the state's "gender identity" requirements and remaining faithful to Church teaching, as Zeale News previously reported,
According to Becket, a hearing on the ministries' motion for a preliminary injunction, originally scheduled for Aug. 3, will likely be rescheduled.
Bishop Barres said the agreement protects the Church's ability to continue serving the sick and dying while the legal challenge proceeds.
“New York cannot force the Church to answer suffering with suicide,” he said, “or abandon the sick and dying when they need care most.”
He added, “Until our legal fight is resolved, this temporary agreement keeps our ministries free to serve every patient according to the Gospel. We continue to proclaim that every human life is sacred and worthy of love until its natural end.”
