With New ork’s new Medical Aid in Dying law set to take effect next week, John S. Bonnici, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, is calling on Catholics across the region to oppose physician-assisted suicide and instead support people facing terminal illness through prayer, accompaniment, hospice services and palliative care.

In a pastoral letter dated July 29, Bonnici described Aug. 5, the date the law takes effect, as “a deeply sorrowful moment” for New York and said he opposed the legislation because he believes it “fails to uphold the dignity of every human person, especially those who are most vulnerable.”

The two-page letter was distributed to Catholics throughout the diocese, which serves Rochester and much of the Finger Lakes region. In it, the bishop reflects on accompanying people near the end of life during his priesthood and argues that true compassion means caring for those who are suffering rather than helping to hasten death. He praises the work of family caregivers, physicians, nurses, chaplains, hospice workers and others who provide end-of-life care.

“Modern palliative care can relieve much physical suffering while also addressing the emotional and spiritual needs of those who are seriously ill,” Bonnici wrote. He encouraged parishioners to help create communities where people facing illness do not feel isolated or abandoned.

The bishop also cited comments from Pope Leo XIV emphasizing respect for human life “from conception to natural death” and reiterated longstanding Catholic teaching that physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia are contrary to human dignity and God’s plan.

New York became the latest state to authorize medical aid in dying when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the legislation in February. The law takes effect Aug. 5 and allows certain terminally ill adults to request medication that they may choose to self-administer to end their lives.

Under the law, eligible patients must be New York residents age 18 or older, have a medically confirmed terminal illness expected to result in death within six months, and be capable of making informed medical decisions. Two physicians must confirm eligibility, and patients must undergo a mental-health evaluation before a prescription can be issued. The law also includes a five-day waiting period between when the prescription is written and when it can be filled, with limited exceptions.

Supporters of the law argue it provides terminally ill patients with greater autonomy and the ability to avoid unnecessary suffering at the end of life. In announcing her decision to sign the bill, Hochul said New Yorkers should have the choice to “die comfortably and on their own terms” while emphasizing safeguards intended to prevent coercion and abuse

A coalition of Catholic caregivers, nursing homes, religious orders and health care ministries - that does not include the Diocese of Rochester - has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law , which does not require Catholic healthcare groups to participate in a suicide, but compels them to share records with officials who do. The lawsuit was filed July 17, 2026, in federal court in Albany and is expected to be heard before the law goes into effect.