March 12, 2025

Dear Monsignors and Fathers,

Our Lenten journey is marked with prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and I am writing to you to ask that you consider offering your prayers and fasting to help us stop the effort to legalize assisted suicide in Illinois.

There are two identical pieces of legislation that would legalize assisted suicide in Illinois, SB 9 and HB 1328. Both of these pieces of legislation are currently being presented.

PRAYER, THEN PETITION

In addition to the spiritual practices that we muster against this effort, I ask you to take action by writing, calling or e-mailing your state elected officials to vote “NO” on this legislation.  Further information on how to reach your State Senator and State Representative can be found at www.ilcatholic.org or call 217-528-9200.

Assisted suicide makes it legal for a physician to prescribe an array of lethal drugs to a person diagnosed with a terminal disease who requests to end his or her life.

Bishop Louis Tylka was among the many Illinois bishops and priests concelebrating Mass for Illinois March for Life participants at the University of Illinois in Springfield in April, 2025. This year’s March for Life will be held on March 25 at the State Capital in Springfield.

Proponents argue that this legislation will end suffering at the end of life. While we agree that no one should needlessly suffer or have to watch a loved one experience unnecessary pain and suffering, there are now effective ways to make a person more comfortable at the end of life through palliative care.

This relatively new specialty utilizes physician-led teams to care for the whole person – physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually – to relieve the symptoms and the stress that often accompany serious illness and side effects of treatment.

LIFE NOT AN INSURANCE DECISION

It is alarming that in states with legalized suicide, there are documented cases of people being denied life-saving medical treatment by insurance companies in lieu of the much cheaper option of life-ending drugs.

The poor and those with disabilities are particularly in jeopardy as they are the most vulnerable to such abuses. Every major national organization that represents people with disabilities is opposed to assisted suicide. There is no way to prevent the vulnerable from being coerced or intimidated to end their lives once assisted suicide is legal.

PHYSICIAN’S ROLE AS HEALER

The American Medical Association (AMA) has summed up the case against assisted suicide well: “Physician assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would provide serious societal risks.”

Assisted suicide is not the compassionate solution for those who are suffering. Through palliative care, expanded access to mental health care, stronger family and community support, providers and families are finding better ways to accompany people compassionately demonstrating the love for, and dignity of, each human life.

Please go to www.ilcatholic.org/take-action or call 217-528-9200 to find out how to contact your local elected official to tell them to vote NO on SB 9 and HB 1328.

Peace and Prayers,

+Most Reverend Louis Tylka

Bishop of Peoria