Holy Synod Issues Statement on Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, meeting in its regular Fall 2026 Session at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon , approved a synodal statement entitled “A Christian Ending to Our Life,” addressing assisted suicide, euthanasia, and the care of those approaching death.

Addressed to the clergy, monastics, and faithful, the statement reaffirms the Church’s teaching on the sacredness of human life while offering pastoral guidance to those who suffer, their families and caregivers, and those serving in the healing professions.

“The dignity of a human person does not rest on strength, independence, or usefulness,” the hierarchs write. “It rests on the image of God, which is no less present in one who lies dying than in one who is in the fullness of health.”

The statement affirms that assisted suicide and euthanasia cannot be blessed by the Church. It distinguishes these acts from appropriate pain relief, hospice and palliative care, and decisions to withhold or withdraw treatments that no longer offer reasonable benefit or impose disproportionate burdens.

The Holy Synod provides…