At their Winter Conference, which is in Maynooth, the bishops noted recent parliamentary votes on a private members Bill in the UK and on a report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying in the Dáil.
In October, the Dáil has voted to note the final report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying, which calls on the Government to legalise assisted dying in certain restricted circumstances.
The bishops appealed to recently elected TDs, who are currently meeting to discuss the formation of a new government, to uphold human life at all its stages and prioritise the provision of palliative care for people living with chronic and terminal illness.
They described assisted suicide as a failure of care and far from an expression of autonomy.
In their winter statement, they said by legislating for assisted suicide, or euthanasia, the State would contribute to undermining the confidence of people who are terminally ill, who want to be cared for and want to live life as fully as possible until death naturally comes.
The bishops said: "In our culture, we rightly hold doctors and nurses in high esteem because they are presumed always to be at the service of life, for as long as their patient lives.
"We call on Catholics to stand firmly in support of nurses and doctors who stand for life.
"One day it may be your life."
Silvan Luley of Dignitas Switzerland urged the committee to change the law to allow Irish people to have the choice of assisted dying alongside other palliative care options.
"Voluntary assisted dying should be legalised as a choice for the Irish alongside other options to soothe suffering and improving quality of life, may it be palliative care, hospice work, suicide attempt prevention, good care in old age, and more," he said.