More Catholics shielded from Illinois euthanasia law, for now

A federal court order expanded this week temporarily protects over 95% of Catholic healthcare institutions in Illinois from the state’s assisted suicide law, the Thomas More Society said Thursday. The new protections also apply to members of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations and some individual physicians. They are now shielded from state legal requirements to recommend assisted suicide to certain terminally ill adults and connect them with prescribers of lethal drugs. The protections will last until after courts decide a separate case challenging the law.

The Thomas More Society asked the court to allow more plaintiffs to be added to a previous order. The earlier protections applied only to one group of Catholic hospitals, a Lutheran care center, and four physicians. The Thomas More Society said the new plaintiffs opposed the law for the same reasons as the original groups: They believed that it violated their faith and the Hippocratic Oath.

A group of Muslim doctors has also separately sued the state over the law on religious grounds. Penalties for refusing to comply with the law include fines up to $10,000, loss of licenses, and potential criminal prosecution.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Muslim doctors’ lawsuit.