“‘Life is no less beautiful when it is accompanied by illness or weakness, hunger or poverty, physical or mental diseases, loneliness or old age,'” wrote Archbishop Ronald Hicks, quoting his predecessor Terence Cardinal Cooke in a new article for First Things, the publication of The Institute on Religion and Public Life. 

New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act, passed by both houses of the New York State legislature in 2025 and signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul on February 6, the day of Archbishop Hicks’ installation, will allow terminally ill patients to request lethal medication from a physician. In “The Throwaway Culture Advances,” Archbishop Hicks called it “the latest assault on human life” and warned that its enactment on August 5 opens a new and troubling chapter for the state. 

“When this law becomes effective, a new and frightening era begins in New York,” he wrote. “How long before this so-called ‘compassion’ for the terminally ill evolves from a ‘choice’ into an expectation to kill oneself for all sorts of vulnerable individuals, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and those in impoverished and medically underserved communities?” 

Canada’s experience and the slippery slope closer to home 

Archbishop Hicks pointed to Canada as a cautionary example, noting that “legislation that was allegedly intended only for the dying was quickly broadened to cover those with ‘chronic’ but not life-threatening illnesses, such as arthritis, who wish to seek a doctor’s help in killing themselves.” He added that Canada is set to expand its law further next year to include those whose only underlying condition is a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, or anorexia. 

The archbishop also drew a sharp contrast between the state’s robust suicide prevention efforts, including police interventions, bridge signage, and youth programs, and its simultaneous embrace of physician-assisted death. “How at odds this is with the rush to help others to end their lives,” he wrote. 

WATCH: ‘Life After’ Spotlights the Dangers of Assisted Suicide Bills for the Disabled Community 

Archbishop Hicks warned of the law’s potential to shift end-of-life decisions away from individuals: “What begins as a personal choice could lead to situations where external forces, such as government agencies or insurance companies, begin to influence or even dictate end-of-life decisions.” 

He pointed to alternatives already available in the archdiocese, including palliative care at Calvary Hospital and through the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. He also highlighted a resource from the New York State Catholic Conference, “Now and at the Hour of Our Death: A Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decision-Making,” as a guide for Catholics and others navigating end-of-life questions. 

Archbishop Hicks closed by grounding his argument in Catholic teaching on the value of human life: “Our lives belong to God, and it is incumbent on us to respect and protect our own lives, just as we rightly demand respect and protection for all human life, from conception until natural death.” 

Read the full article here.