Archbishop Ronald Hicks Enters Legal Battle Against New York Assisted Suicide Rules
New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks joined an ongoing federal lawsuit filed by religious orders, challenging state regulations that require Catholic institutions to participate in assisted suicide. The religious liberty law firm Becket announced the archbishop’s addition to the case on October 30, making him the latest prelate to contest similar legislation across the United States.
The legal challenge initially launched in July, bringing together Catholic objectors who argue that the state mandate violates core church teachings regarding the sanctity of life. Following the case’s commencement, a federal judge granted an injunction preventing the state from applying the suicide regulations to the Catholic plaintiffs during the pendency of the litigation.
Religious Orders and Healthcare Providers Join the Suit
The lawsuit features a broad coalition of Catholic leaders and institutions. The list of plaintiffs, alongside Archbishop Hicks, includes Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Catholic healthcare ministry ArchCare also joined the action alongside these religious orders.
The inclusion of ArchCare brings specific healthcare infrastructure into the legal challenge. Its facilities include Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, which Becket describes as “the only fully-accredited acute care hospital in the U.S. devoted exclusively to the palliative care of adult patients with life-limiting illnesses.”
Archbishop Hicks Defends Catholic Care Standards
Addressing the legal action, Archbishop Hicks emphasized the religious motivation behind the Church’s healthcare ministries. Hicks stated on October 30 that Catholics “are guided by the compassion of Jesus to serve those of every background who are in need of healing.”
We refuse to allow New York to force us to harm the very ones we’ve been called to care for,
Hicks said.
Broader Legal Opposition Across Multiple States
The New York challenge forms part of a wider national effort by Catholic leadership against state-level assisted suicide programs. Litigation has been initiated against the governments of New York and Illinois by a collective of four bishops and dozens of religious sisters following the implementation of assisted suicide programs in those states. In Illinois, Catholic entities including the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Springfield have achieved federal court rulings that prohibit the state from enforcing its suicide policies against them while the legal proceedings continue.
