"Most people, regardless of religious affiliation, know that suicide is a tragedy, one that a compassionate society should work to prevent. They realize that allowing doctors to prescribe the means for their patients to kill themselves is a corruption of the medical profession," he said.

He called physician assisted suicide a violation of the Hippocratic Oath and said that by eliminating the legal protection for a category of people, "the government sends a message that some persons are better off dead."

The cardinal also said that many people fear experiencing pain, the loss of control, dementia, being abandoned, or becoming a burden to others toward the end of their lives.

"We as a society will be judged by how we respond to these very real fears. We must devote more attention to those who might feel that their life is diminished in value or meaning. They need the love and care of others to assure them of their inherent worth," said Cardinal O'Malley.

The cardinal described other ramifications of legalized suicide such as some responding to a suffering person's request to die as reasonable choice, rather than a call for help. He said that those who choose to live "may then be viewed as selfish or irrational, as a needless burden on others. They might even be encouraged to see themselves in that way."

Citing both the National Council on Disability and the example of the Netherlands, where both euthanasia and assisted suicide are permitted, the cardinal said the availability of legalized suicide creates pressure on individuals and families to choose the option, and moves toward coercion and involuntary euthanasia.

He said legalized suicide leads to more suicide in general calling it the "collateral damage of the assisted suicide agenda."

He referred to Oregon, which passed a similar initiative also called the "Death with Dignity Act" in 1997. The cardinal said that ten years after this law took effect, suicide became the leading cause of injury related death in Oregon and the second leading cause of death there between those aged between 15 and 34. He also said that in 2007, the Oregon suicide rate was 35 percent higher than the national average, not including the physician assisted suicides, which Oregon law prevents being tallied as suicides.

"We hope that the citizens of the commonwealth will not be seduced by the language, 'dignity, mercy, compassion,' which are used to disguise the sheer brutality of helping someone to kill themselves," said Cardinal O'Malley.