by Sean Cavanaugh
New York’s new Medical Aid in Dying Act is facing another court challenge, this time from Catholic nuns, Catholic health care ministries and the Archdiocese of New York, which say the law would force them to act against their religious beliefs.
Archbishop Ronald Hicks, the Archdiocese of New York and the Catholic health care ministry Arch Care have joined a lawsuit brought by four orders of Catholic nuns and other Catholic health care ministries challenging the state’s assisted-suicide law. The law was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and went into effect Aug. 5.
The case is Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm v. James. Becket, a religious liberty law firm, is asking a federal court to protect Catholic health care providers from what it describes as a new law that would require them to help terminally ill patients “kill themselves in violation of their faith.”
Ben Fleshman, counsel at Becket, said the law “would violate their beliefs to participate in the provision of assisted suicide in any way.” He said the ministries have “deeply held beliefs that human life is sacred and that God gave us life, and then we should treasure it.”
