Both chambers of the NYS Legislature have approved the Medical Aid in Dying Act and the New York State Catholic Conference has been among the most vocal opponents of the bill, which would permit terminally ill people with less than six months to live to receive life-ending medication. Now the final decision on whether to make the measure law, rests with Governor Kathy Hochul. The Catholic Church opposes MAIDA because it considers all forms of assisted suicide and euthanasia a grave violation of the law of God and an unacceptable killing of a human person. The Church's position is rooted in the following core beliefs: 

 

• Sanctity of Life: The Church teaches that all human life is a gift from God and inherently valuable, from conception until natural death. This value does not diminish with suffering or illness.

• Stewardship, not Ownership: Catholics believe that individuals are stewards of the life God has entrusted to them, but do not have absolute dominion over it. Therefore, intentionally ending one's own life or assisting in doing so is a rejection of God's sovereignty.

• "False Compassion": The Vatican has stated that euthanasia and assisted suicide are a "failure of love" and "false compassion". True compassion, in the Catholic view, involves sharing another's pain and providing supportive care (palliative care and hospice), not ending their life.

• Opposition to a "Culture of Death": Church leaders, including Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis, have spoken out against a modern "culture of death" and believe that legalizing MAIDA undermines the fundamental right to life, potentially leading to a "slippery slope" where vulnerable individuals may feel pressured to end their lives.

• Focus on Palliative Care: The New York State Catholic Conference advocates for improved access to palliative and hospice care for terminally ill New Yorkers as a compassionate alternative to medical aid in dying, emphasizing that "incurable cannot mean that care" has come to an end.

• Undermining the Medical Profession: The Church argues that legalizing assisted suicide undermines the medical duty to care for and preserve life, potentially conflicting with the oath to "first, do no harm". 

 

In essence, the Catholic opposition stems from a moral and ethical framework that views intentional killing as always wrong, regardless of the person's suffering or request, and emphasizes accompanying the dying with love and support until natural death