We are called to proclaim the Gospel of Life

It is with great sadness in my heart that I write this column as the New York State assisted suicide law comes into effect under the grave misnomer of “Medical Aid in Dying” Act. Last December 17, 2025, when Governor Hochul declared her intention to sign this bill, the Catholic Bishops of New York declared: 

“While physician-assisted suicide will soon be legal here in New York, we must clearly reiterate that it is in direct conflict with Catholic teaching on the sacredness and dignity of all human life from conception until natural death and is a grave moral evil on par with other direct attacks on human life. We call on Catholics and all New Yorkers to reject physician-assisted suicide for themselves, their loved ones, and those in their care. And we pray that our state turns away from its promotion of a Culture of Death and invest instead in life-affirming, compassionate hospice and palliative care, which is seriously underutilized.”

Today, I wish to reiterate this message to the Catholic family of the Diocese of Syracuse. In addition, I wish to make you aware of a publication from the New York State Catholic Conference and its diocesan bishops that has been revised and updated, Now and at the Hour of Our Death: A Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decision-Making. This booklet is available online at nyscatholic.org as a digital download for free, and hard copies are available through emailing [email protected] or calling 518-434-6195.

The guide begins by reminding the reader that “human life is a sacred gift from God.” It then addresses the topics of: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Treatments, The Special Care of Assisted Nutrition and Hydration, and a   Further Summary of Church Teaching.  The booklet also includes how one can do advance planning for health challenges that may arise. Included in this part is a section on The Healthcare Proxy and The Living Will. In addition, the booklet addresses: Surrogate Decision-Makers, Do Not Resuscitate Orders (DNR), and Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST).  I highly encourage all members of our diocesan family to familiarize themselves with this document and to use it as a guide for discussion with clergy and family members. 

In speaking on the matter of euthanasia, Pope Leo XIV declares, “We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest—whether the child in the womb or the elderly in their frailty—for they are both gifts from God.” Furthermore, in a July 29th letter to the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Rochester, the Bishop of Rochester, the Most Reverend John S. Bonnici wrote: “Physician-assisted suicide is often described as an act of compassion. Yet authentic compassion never abandons the suffering or hastens death. True compassion is found in the loving care offered every day by families, caregivers, hospice workers, physicians, nurses, and chaplains who affirm the dignity of every human life until natural death. Modern palliative care can relieve much physical suffering while also addressing the emotional and spiritual needs of those who are seriously ill.” Bishop Bonnici also noted: “As Catholics, we know that our hope is not found in prolonging earthly life at all costs, but in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. At the same time, we believe that God alone is the Lord of life. Our dignity is never determined by our health, our independence, or our abilities. Every person is created in the image and likeness of God and deserves our love, protection, and care.”

Bishop Bonnici’s message is an important one! We must not lose sight of Christ, our hope. In Sunday’s gospel from Matthew 14:22-33, we see that Peter sinks in the midst of stormy chaos when he takes his eyes from Jesus. And Jesus says to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  As one commentator of this gospel wrote: “Jesus comes to his disciples when they are in trouble. Peter walks safely above the waves when he is focused on Jesus but sinks when he is distracted. Jesus is there to pull him up; he would not have called for Peter to come if he would have let him drown” (Jesuit Prayer app – 4 August 2026).

This perspective echoes for me a particularly inspiring paragraph of Bishop Bonnici’s letter: “Rather than responding with fear or anger, let us respond with greater charity. May our parishes become places where no one feels abandoned, forgotten, or alone. Let us accompany the sick, support caregivers, strengthen hospice and palliative care, and witness joyfully to the Gospel of Life.”

The bishop’s charge to the Diocesan Church of Rochester is one I want to also make to the Diocesan Church of Syracuse. It is important for you and I more than ever to proclaim the Gospel of Life by being a living gospel for all people to hear – witnessing to and radiating the sacredness of life in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Let me end by sharing with you a prayer for life that we can incorporate into our own daily prayers: 

Father and maker of all, you adorn all creation with splendor and beauty, and fashion human lives in your image and likeness. Awaken in every heart reverence for the work of your hands and renew among your people a readiness to nurture and sustain your precious gift of life. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.