New York sued by Catholic nuns over assisted‑suicide law

Four orders of Catholic sisters and related healthcare ministries filed a federal lawsuit in Albany on July 17, 2026 challenging New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. The plaintiffs – 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 – argue the law’s “Suicide Counseling Mandate” forces them to counsel terminally‑ill patients about physician‑assisted suicide, refer them to providers, and possibly facilitate the practice, which their faith condemns.

The complaint contends that the mandate violates the First Amendment’s Free‑Exercise Clause and federal healthcare protections. It seeks a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of the law, which takes effect on August 5, 2026 and carries penalties of fines, license revocation and criminal sanctions for non‑compliance. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the law in February, saying it includes safeguards, while the nuns maintain it compels them to act against Catholic teaching that life is sacred. Representative statements include Mother Marie Edward’s remark that “Everyone is made in the image and likeness of God…We do not take the charge of whether or not we live or we die. That’s up to God.”