A coalition of Catholic nuns, dioceses, and faith-based healthcare providers is asking a federal court to block New York’s assisted suicide law, arguing it forces them to choose between following their deeply held religious beliefs and continuing their ministries to the sick and dying.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court, challenges New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act, which allows mentally competent adults diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request and self-administer life-ending medication.

More than 10 Catholic plaintiffs joined the lawsuit, including the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and Catholic Health. They argue the law violates the First Amendment and federal protections for religious healthcare providers by requiring them to participate in practices that conflict with Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life.

According to the complaint, the law could require religious hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities to counsel terminally ill patients about physician-assisted suicide, make referrals to providers who will participate, and, in some circumstances, accommodate the practice within their facilities.

“New York has put the Sisters to a stark choice: either abandon their religious beliefs regarding the sanctity of life or face significant fines and penalties,” the lawsuit states. It argues that the state has “conscripted even religious healthcare providers and institutions to participate in the provision of physician-assisted suicide.”

For the religious communities involved, the case is about more than legal requirements—it is about preserving ministries that have cared for vulnerable people for generations.

Rosary Hill Home, operated by the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, has served approximately 45,000 low-income cancer patients over the past 125 years, providing free end-of-life care regardless of a patient’s faith or background.

Mother Marie Edward, O.P., Superior General of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, said their mission has always been rooted in seeing Christ in those they serve.

“For over 125 years, we have ministered to the poor who are dying of cancer as if they were Christ Himself,” she said. “Our calling is to offer comfort, prayer, and loving medical care to those in their final days—not death.”

She added, “We pray the court will protect our freedom to remain faithful to that ministry God has entrusted to us.”

Mother Mary Rose Heery, O. Carm., prioress general of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, echoed those concerns, saying her community is committed to ensuring no resident faces death alone.

“At our homes, we bring Christ’s unbounded love to elderly New Yorkers of every background and walk of life,” she said. “We strive to bring His compassion to those entrusted to our care, ensuring that no resident ever has to die alone. This law strikes at the heart of that vocation.”

The organizations are represented by the religious liberty law firm Becket. Its president, Mark Rienzi, argued the law forces faith-based caregivers to communicate messages they fundamentally reject.

“New York is forcing sick and dying people to consider suicide at their lowest moment, regardless of whether they ask for it or not,” Rienzi said. “Worse, it’s conscripting the nuns who care for them into its suicide cult on pain of crushing fines and professional ruin. That is both unconscionable and unconstitutional.”

Supporters of the Medical Aid in Dying Act, including advocacy group Compassion & Choices, argue the law gives terminally ill adults greater autonomy over end-of-life decisions. The organization notes that New York’s law is modeled after Oregon’s longstanding assisted dying statute and is intended for adults experiencing unbearable suffering with a prognosis of six months or less to live.

The lawsuit comes just months after the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne filed a separate legal challenge against New York over another state policy they believe threatens their religious freedom.

Now, the plaintiffs say this latest case presents another critical question: whether religious organizations can continue serving the sick according to their faith without being compelled to participate in practices they believe violate God’s command to protect human life.

As the legal battle moves forward, the case is likely to become another closely watched test of the balance between religious liberty, healthcare regulations, and the expanding legalization of physician-assisted suicide in the United States.