New York Catholic bishops issue updated guide on end-of-life decisions, addressing assisted suicide, moral care, and advance planning options.
Newsroom (23/04/2026 Gaudium Press) In response to New York’s recent legalization of assisted suicide, Catholic bishops across the state have released an updated guidebook aimed at helping the faithful navigate complex end-of-life decisions in accordance with Church teaching.
The pamphlet, titled “Now and at the Hour of Our Death,” offers a detailed explanation of Catholic moral principles related to medical care at the end of life, while also outlining practical options available under New York law. It emphasizes prayerful discernment and informed decision-making, particularly as advances in medicine introduce increasingly complex ethical questions.
“Medical advances bring with them new and complex questions with regard to medical treatments and moral decision-making,” the guidebook’s introduction states.
At the center of the bishops’ guidance is a firm rejection of assisted suicide, which the document defines as “the voluntary termination of one’s own life using physician-prescribed chemicals or drugs that will cause death.” The practice, the bishops state, constitutes active euthanasia and is “objectively immoral,” warning against what they describe as a “false veil of compassion” surrounding it.
Beyond assisted suicide, the guidebook provides extensive direction on distinguishing between morally required and morally optional medical treatments. The bishops reaffirm that Catholics are obligated to accept “ordinary” means of preserving life—those that offer reasonable hope of benefit without imposing excessive burden.
Such ordinary care includes basic life-sustaining interventions like nutrition and hydration, even when delivered through medical means such as feeding tubes. “We must always accept (and others must provide) ordinary medical means of preserving life,” the bishops write.
However, the document acknowledges that not all treatments carry the same moral weight. “Extraordinary” interventions—those that may be excessively burdensome, costly, or unlikely to provide meaningful benefit—are considered optional. For example, a patient with cancer may choose to decline aggressive treatment if the expected outcome is poor and the physical toll is severe.
The distinction between these categories is not always straightforward. The bishops stress that such decisions require prudence, described as the application of practical reason to discern the true good in specific circumstances. They encourage consultation with priests, chaplains, or ethicists when facing difficult choices.
The guide also addresses the ethical complexity of withholding or withdrawing treatment. While allowing natural death is morally permissible under certain conditions, the bishops draw a clear line at actions intended to cause death. Withholding ordinary care with such intent, they state, constitutes passive euthanasia and is “gravely contrary to God’s will.”
Even in cases involving feeding tubes or life-sustaining technologies, the bishops insist that decisions must not be based on judgments about a patient’s perceived quality of life. “It is never permissible to remove a feeding tube, or any other form of life-sustaining treatment, based on a belief that the patient’s life no longer holds value,” the document states.
At the same time, the bishops recognize that exceptional circumstances may arise. For instance, when death is imminent or when medical interventions cause severe complications, certain treatments may be withdrawn, provided that care—especially nutrition and hydration—is maintained as much as possible.
In addition to moral guidance, the pamphlet strongly encourages advance care planning. It recommends the use of a health care proxy, a legal tool in New York that allows individuals to appoint someone they trust to make medical decisions on their behalf. The bishops describe this as the most appropriate option for ensuring that decisions align with one’s values and beliefs.
They urge Catholics to select proxies who are well-informed about Church teaching and capable of upholding those principles during moments of crisis.
The guide underscores that it is not a substitute for spiritual reflection. “Determining if and when a particular treatment can morally be withheld or withdrawn should be done collaboratively,” the bishops note, emphasizing the importance of involving family members, medical professionals, and spiritual advisers in the process.
Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, highlighted the longstanding value of the guidebook, noting that earlier editions have served Catholics for more than 15 years.
“Our hope is that many thousands more Catholics in the years to come will find ‘Now and at the Hour of Our Death’ to be a useful guide in what is by nature a very stressful time,” Poust said.
He encouraged individuals to review the document well in advance of any medical crisis, ensuring they understand both Church teaching and the legal options now available in New York.
As the legal and medical landscape continues to evolve, the bishops’ updated guidance seeks to provide clarity and moral direction for Catholics facing some of life’s most difficult decisions.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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