Is physician-assisted suicide coming to New Jersey? Deacon Jerry Jablonowski of Vitality Catholic Healthcare Services for the Diocese of Camden says that the danger is real. Please see his letter below.
March 27, 2018
Dear Monsignor/Father,
Recently the NJ State Assembly Judiciary Committee released Assembly Bill A1504 – “Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act” by a 5-2 majority.
An identical companion bill is presently being heard in committee in the State Senate.
This bill is an Oregon-style doctor prescribed suicide proposal. It is another attempt to legalize physician-assisted suicide in the State of New Jersey, and has gotten much support in the legislature and has a great potential to become law if passed, due to the Governor’s office being receptive to sign such legislation. (Previous attempts have failed to even come to votes in the legislature due to Governor Christie’s vow to veto any such legislature.) If passed, NJ would be the seventh state to permit people with terminal illnesses to take their own lives. 37 states have passed laws making the practice illegal. I am writing this to inform you of this situation and ask for your help in spreading the word among your parishioners and requesting they contact their assemblymen and other elected NJ officials to voice their opposition to “physician assisted suicide."
I thank you for your help and cooperation in this effort to educate your parishioners about this and advocate for life rather than death for our most vulnerable citizens.
May God bless you in your work.
Deacon Jerry Jablonowski Executive Director VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services Diocese of Camden
Dear friends, please communicate your resistance to this bill to our state representatives. We must always advance and protect the culture of life when it is threatened.
Our Lady of Life, pray for us.
Fr. Tim Byerley, Pastor
Our 6th District Representatives and Governor
Senator James Beach
1309 Route 70 West Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
856.429.1572
Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald and Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt
1101 Laurel Oak Road, Suite 150 Voorhees, NJ 08043
856.435.1247
Governor Phil Murphy
P.O. Box 001 Trenton, NJ 08625
609.292.6000
Visit www.nj.gov/nj/feedback.html to email our representatives.