Editorial

A plea to stand up for life as another state moves toward assisted suicide

We observed Respect Life Month in October and completed the fall 40 Days for Life campaign on Nov. 2.

As in years past, we pray that our recent witness of faith helped strengthen a culture of life across America. We also pray that it softened hardened and uninformed hearts who fail to respect all human life, from conception to natural death.

We know that the battle to end abortion is far from over because several states across the U.S., including the four states surrounding Indiana—including Illinois—continue to allow abortion on demand.

But Illinois made national news last week for another devastating reason: during the early morning hours of

Oct. 31, its state Senate narrowly voted to legalize physician-assisted suicide. The measure had already passed the state’s House in May, but by the time the spring session ended, neither the House nor the Senate had a consensus.

The “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act” allows people deemed by a physician to have six months or less to live to receive prescriptions for powerful drugs at very high doses to take their own lives.

The bill also states: “Actions taken in accordance with this Act do not, for any purposes, constitute suicide, assisted suicide, euthanasia, mercy killing, homicide, murder, manslaughter, elder abuse or neglect, or any other civil or criminal violation under the law.” It also maintains suicide is not to be listed as the cause of death; instead, it would be the original diagnosed illness determined to be terminal.

The bill’s passage puts Illinois on track to be the 12th state, plus the District of Columbia, to legalize physician-assisted suicide.

According to news reports, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has 60 days to act: he can sign the bill, veto it or leave it untouched, which results in automatic enactment.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois immediately voiced its opposition to the bill becoming law.

“With all the assaults on human dignity and the growing number of vulnerable people we see every day, sadly the leaders and members of the General Assembly who voted for this offer us suicide as its response,” it said in a statement.

The conference, which represents the Catholic Church at the state capitol in Springfield, said it asked the governor “not only to veto this bill in totality, but also to address humanely the reasons why some view assisted suicide as their only option and to heed the impact of similar legislation on other states and nations.”

Robert Gilligan, the conference’s executive director, said his office is planning next steps.

“We’re talking about what we need to do to reach out to [the governor], what we should do to make sure that we still have one, final chance at stopping this from becoming law,” he said.

Gilligan told OSV News the conference is very much focused on the task “for however long it takes.”

The state conference argued that making suicide legal in any form could have a negative impact on “young impressionable minds.” It referenced Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics from 2023 that show suicide is “the second-leading cause of death” for young people between ages 10 and 34.

Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander urged people to contact the governor’s office.

“We cannot give up yet. There is still time to defeat this horrible bill,” said Zander, who also made a plea for prayers “for our legislators, for our governor, and for our state.”

While Zander directed her message to Illinois residents, we, too, should pray that this anti-life measure does not become law.

Our faith implores us to stand up for all life—even if our states are separated by a border.

Let us also offer the prayer “Every Life is Worth Living,” from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Heavenly Father, thank you for the precious gift of life.
Help us to cherish and protect this gift, even in the midst of fear, pain, and suffering.
Give us love for all people, especially the most vulnerable, and help us bear witness to the truth that every life is worth living.
Grant us the humility to accept help when we are in need, and teach us to be merciful to all.
Through our words and actions, may others encounter the outstretched hands of Your mercy.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

—Mike Krokos