Pope Leo XIV rejects assisted dying as morally normal

Pope Leo XIV has rejected the idea that assisted dying should be regarded as a normal practice, speaking during a landmark visit to France on Sunday. Addressing believers who were sick or living with disabilities at the pilgrimage site of Lourdes, the Pope said that no human law should make people lose confidence in their dignity. He urged listeners to reject what he described as the use of death in the name of compassion.

“It is impossible to regard causing death as something normal,” he said, adding that what is legal is not necessarily moral. The comments came after France’s parliament passed legislation in June establishing a right to assisted dying for some adults suffering from an incurable condition. The legislation has drawn strong criticism from the Catholic Church in France.

The church described the measure as a serious rupture, according to the supplied report. Pope Leo’s remarks placed the issue of dignity and the protection of vulnerable people at the centre of his message. He told sick and disabled believers that legal changes should not undermine their sense of worth.

The Pope continued his visit to France with the comments at Lourdes, a site associated with Catholic pilgrimage. The report did not provide further details of the legislation’s implementation or the French government’s response to his remarks.