Bioethics

The End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act took effect in Illinois on September 12, allowing terminally ill patients to request prescription drugs to hasten death under specific conditions, prompting educational efforts by Catholic and pro-life groups to explain Church teachings and the law's implications. Jozef Zalot, a bioethicist with the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, are among those leading workshops and discussions to help clergy, laity, and families understand and respond to the new law while emphasizing compassionate accompaniment of the suffering.