DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – A new physician-assisted suicide law, set to begin on Sept. 12, has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge after being sought by Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield. The injunction was also sought by four Catholic doctors and The Lutheran Care Center in Southern Illinois.
The injunction was agreed to by the state of Illinois.
Two Catholic hospital systems in the Diocese of Springfield, HSHS and OSF's Springfield campus, are protected by the court's order.
The order prevents health care facilities and doctors who were part of the order from being forced to share information, referrals and other facts on the “benefits” of assisted suicide, which goes against the teachings of the Catholic Church.
“We can’t do anything that will hasten that person's (terminally ill patient) death in an intentional way,” Paprocki told WAND News. “So, we wanted to get an injunction in before that law takes effect. We’re very pleased that the judge granted that temporary restraining order.”
Paprocki was represented in court by the Thomas More Society.
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