Cardinal Blase Cupich

Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, is expressing his displeasure over state representatives approving legislation that allows assisted suicides.

On Thursday, Senate Bill 1950 was passed in the state House of Representatives. The bill, which will go to the Illinois Senate for consideration today, would enshrine in law the right to end one’s life with physician involvement and approval.

“I have to ask why, in a time when growing understanding of the deteriorating mental health of the U.S. population – and particularly among our youth – caused the country to create the 988 mental health crisis line, we would want to take this step to normalize suicide as a solution to life’s challenges,” Cupich said in a statement. “While the bill sets parameters for assisted suicide,, the data from places where assisted suicide is available are clear. Rates of all suicide went up after the passage of such legislation. These rates are already unacceptably high, and proposed cutbacks in medical care funding will add to the burden faced by those contemplating suicide.

“Let us also consider the impact on impressionable young people of legalized suicide in any form. According to a 2022 United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for U.S. teens and young adults 10-34. It is the second-leading cause of death for those 10-14. And, according to the National Institutes of Health, suicide contagion is a real risk to these young people after exposure to suicide. Add to that the ready availability of firearms in the U.S. and this is a tragedy we do not need to compound.

“I speak to this topic not only as a religious leader but also as one who has seen a parent die from a debilitating illness. My father was kept comfortable and was cherished until his natural death. Catholic teaching supports such palliative care so long as the goal is not to end life. There is a way to both honor the dignity of human life and provide compassionate care to those experiencing life-ending illness. Surely the Illinois legislature should explore those options before making suicide one of the avenues available to the ill and distressed.”