Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Recently, some of you may have seen news reports about New York's physician-assisted suicide law, which is scheduled to take effect on August 5. You may also have heard that Bishop Barres, along with four communities of religious sisters, has filed a lawsuit challenging parts of the law that would require Catholic healthcare providers to act in ways that violate the Church's deeply held beliefs about the sanctity of human life.
These events remind us that it is important to understand why the Church teaches that physician-assisted suicide is morally wrong, even when it is presented as an act of compassion.
The Church begins with a simple truth: every human life is a gift from God. Our dignity does not come from our health, stage in life, independence, or usefulness. It comes from being created in the image and likeness of God. Because life is His gift, we are its stewards, not its owners. We are called to receive life with gratitude, care for it faithfully, and entrust it back to God when He calls us home. Life is not merely something we possess; it is a vocation entrusted to us by God. Even in moments of great weakness or suffering, our lives have immeasurable value because God continues to work in us and through us, often in ways we cannot see.
Physician-assisted suicide involves intentionally providing the means for a person to end his or her own life. While the desire to relieve suffering is understandable, compassion never means causing death. The word compassion literally means "to suffer with." True compassion means accompanying those who are ill with love, excellent medical care, effective pain management, and the assurance that they will never be abandoned.
The Church is equally clear that we are not required to prolong life at all costs. When medical treatments become excessively burdensome or no longer offer reasonable hope of benefit, they may be refused. Hospice care, comfort care, and pain medication are all morally good when their purpose is to relieve suffering rather than to cause death. There is a profound moral difference between allowing natural death to occur and intentionally bringing it about.
As Christians, we also see suffering through the lens of Jesus Christ. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that the cup of suffering might pass from Him. Yet He ultimately entrusted Himself to the Father's will. On Calvary, He transformed suffering and death into the path to eternal life. While none of us seeks suffering, we know that when it cannot be avoided, Christ walks with us and gives it meaning.
Here at our parish, this truth has a special significance. Our patron, St. Raphael, is the patron saint of healing, including physicians, nurses, and all who care for the sick. His very name means, "God heals." While God does not always grant physical healing in this life, He never ceases to offer the deeper healing of His love, His grace, and the promise of eternal life. Through the intercession of St. Raphael, may we become instruments of God's healing love by accompanying every person with compassion and protecting the dignity of every human life.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Father Leo Song
