Bishops, religious sisters lead lawsuits against assisted suicide

Bishops and religious sisters in New York and Illinois have secured temporary legal protections to prevent them from participating in assisted suicide under new state laws. These lawsuits seek to protect religious objectors from being forced to assist in the deaths of medical patients.

In New York, U.S. District Judge Anne Nardacci ruled in July that the state cannot enforce its new suicide law against Bishop John Barres of Rockville Centre and a coalition of four religious sister communities while their federal lawsuit proceeds.

In Illinois, two separate lawsuits have also resulted in temporary relief for Catholic plaintiffs. In August, U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama ruled that Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki, several Christian doctors, and a Lutheran care home do not have to follow the state law. In September, Valderrama issued another ruling in favor of a coalition including the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. These rulings serve as temporary reprieves to forestall law enforcement while the cases continue through the federal court system.