End-of-Life Decision Making
End-of-life decision making is never easy. It must be approached with compassion for both the dying and those who will be left behind. The New York State Catholic Conference offers numerous resources for Catholics and others regarding end-of-life decision making, including the video below, produced by the Conference through the generosity of a grant from OSV Institute.
Although it can be uncomfortable to talk about with others, it is important to share your health care wishes in advance with your loved ones. In the event of a serious injury or illness where you are unable to communicate on your own, expressing your preferences for health care treatment in advance will help provide guidance for your family and caregivers.
Our booklet “Now and at the Hour of Our Death” provides a guide for end-of-life decision making and legal options for New Yorkers for planning in advance. For those living outside of New York State, please visit www.catholicendoflife.org, a website providing resources and education for Catholics, according to the laws of their individual state.
Booklets are available as a PDF download in English or Spanish.
For those interested in burial options and Catholic cemeteries, please contact your local diocesan office for more information.
NYS Bishops’ Statement on Gov. Hochul’s Plan to Sign Assisted Suicide Bill
Following is a joint statement by Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the Bishops of New York State on Governor Hochul’s announcement that she will sign the physician-assisted suicide bill passed earlier this year by the legislature:
“We are extraordinarily troubled by Governor Hochul’s announcement that she will sign the egregious bill passed by the legislature earlier this year sanctioning physician-assisted suicide in New York State. This new law signals our government’s abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders.
Tragically, this new law will seriously undermine all of the anti-suicide and mental health care investments Governor Hochul has made through her tenure. How can any society have credibility to tell young people or people with depression that suicide is never the answer, while at the same time telling elderly and sick people that it is a compassionate choice to be celebrated?
“While physician-assisted suicide will soon be legal here in New York, we must clearly reiterate that it is in direct conflict with Catholic teaching on the sacredness and dignity of all human life from conception until natural death and is a grave moral evil on par with other direct attacks on human life. We call on Catholics and all New Yorkers to reject physician-assisted suicide for themselves, their loved ones, and those in their care. And we pray that our state turn away from its promotion of a Culture of Death and invest instead in life-affirming, compassionate hospice and palliative care, which is seriously underutilized.”