A federal judge has blocked the State of Illinois from enforcing its new assisted‑suicide law against several Roman Catholic plaintiffs while their lawsuit proceeds, according to a report and a release from the law firm representing them.
Who’s protected, and when the order landed
The Western Journal reported that U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama issued the order one day before the statute took effect on Sept. 12. The case involves the Archdiocese of Chicago, led by Archbishop Blase Cupich, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and pharmacist Luke Vander Bleek, per legal advocacy group Becket.
What Becket says the Illinois law would require
Becket identifies the statute as the End‑of‑Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act and asserts it would require health‑care providers to inform patients about a purported right to assisted suicide, help them qualify for lethal drugs, and refer them to someone willing to assist. The group further contends the law threatens providers who try to dissuade patients from pursuing assisted suicide with accusations of coercion, adding that a nun could not tell a patient, “Don’t kill yourself. Jesus loves you. Your life is precious.” These characterizations are Becket’s; the article does not include the state’s interpretation or the statute’s full text.
What the order does (and doesn’t) do
According to Becket, the court’s order prevents Illinois from enforcing the law against these plaintiffs while the case is litigated. It does not overturn the statute or address people beyond the named parties.
How the parties are framing it
In a release, Becket stated: “This order means they can continue caring for patients according to their faith without being forced to assist with suicides or punished for speaking a life-affirming message against suicide.”
Vander Bleek said, “All I want is to serve my neighbors as a pharmacist while remaining faithful to my Catholic beliefs. This agreement means I can keep doing exactly that when the new law takes effect, without being forced to fill prescriptions for suicide drugs.”
Mark Rienzi, Becket’s president and lead attorney for the plaintiffs, called it “hard to imagine a more blatant attack on religious freedom than forcing Catholic nuns to help people commit suicide,” and added, “Illinois was right to agree to the court’s order.” The Western Journal report does not include a response from Illinois officials.
