Assisted Suicide

Physician Assisted Suicide

Physician-assisted suicide is part of a “throwaway culture” that offers a “false compassion” and treats a human person as a problem, Pope Francis told medical leaders.
"True compassion leads to sharing another's pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear." - John Paul II, The Gospel of Life

Top Reasons to Oppose Assisted Suicide

The USCCB website lists the following dangers among the top reasons to oppose assisted suicide.
A Deadly Mix with Our Profit-Driven Health Care System

Some patients in Oregon and California have received word that their health insurance will pay for assisted suicide but will not pay for treatment that may sustain their lives.

Puts Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse and Coercion
Dangerously Broad Definition of Terminal Illness
Pain Not the Primary Issue
No Psychiatric Evaluation or Treatment Require
Threatens Improvement of Palliative Care
Fosters Discrimination

Know the Facts

The NYS Catholic Conference created this flyer that can be used as bulletin insert to provide facts about the physician assisted bill that Governor Cuomo wants to pass in NYS.

Say NO to Physician Assisted Suicide in NYS

For more information and resources about it, you can check the NYS Catholic Conference Website .
Take action and oppose Assisted Suicide here.

Beyond Interdependence: John's Story
Proponents of physician-assisted suicide often associate loss of independence with a diminishment in the value of one's life. But what if there's more to life than independence? Watch John's story below.
Born without arms, John Foppe speaks to a way of life beyond independence, namely inter-dependence: Together we are more. Assisted suicide sells everyone short, so in times of illness or disability, he encourages us to “step into life!”

Man of Steel: JJ's Story
An unexpected cancer diagnosis caused local New Yorker, JJ Hanson, to question what life was all about and why it is worth fighting for. Watch JJ's story below.

Death with Dignity: Lizz's Story
Lizz speaks of what "death with dignity" really looks like. She shares how, in her suffering with terminal cancer, she has learned to trust in God's plan for her life, until the end.

Assisted Suicide obstructs care that families need
Sylvia and Serena Alvarez share the inspiring story of Deacon Sal Alvarez -- how he fought for justice throughout his life, working for farmers' rights, advocating for access to health care for Latinos, and -- near the end of his life -- fighting against assisted suicide. They then call upon viewers to join them in continuing his fight for access to authentic health care, no assisted suicide.

Inspiring story of facing death with grace and dignity
Maggie Karner, 51-yr-old mother of three, has terminal brain cancer and opposes assisted suicide. She shares how her dad, when bedridden at the end of his life as a quadriplegic, taught her to face life & her final days with true grace and dignity.

Additional Resources

The USCCB provides lot of resources about Assisted Suicide here and about End of Life here.
Below are four new one-pagers that address various misperceptions about assisted suicide provided through the Diocese of Buffalo in NYS. These are intended for use as your own resource (placed on your own letterhead, if you wish) rather than coming from the USCCB. .