Assisted dying not ‘normal,’ says Pope Leo XIV
- Pope Leo XIV stated that assisted dying is not “normal” during his visit to France, where the practice has been legalized for certain patients.
- He emphasized that no human law should undermine a person's dignity, addressing sick and disabled believers at the pilgrimage site of Lourdes.
- The Pope warned against the temptation to end life under false compassion, asserting that causing death is not morally acceptable even if it is legal.
- France’s recent legislation allowing assisted dying faced strong opposition from the Catholic Church, which called the bill a serious rupture.
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday said assisted dying was not “normal”, as he continued a landmark visit to France, where parliament has legalized the practice for certain patients.
“No human law should ever make you lose the certainty of your dignity,” he told believers who were sick or suffered from disabilities, at the French pilgrimage site of Lourdes.
“We must reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion. It is impossible to regard causing death as something normal,” he added.
“What is legal is not necessarily moral.”
France’s parliament passed legislation in June establishing a right to assisted dying for some adults suffering from an incurable condition.
The move drew strong criticism from the Catholic Church in France, which denounced the bill as a serious “rupture.”