Assisted Dying Not ‘Normal’ Pope Leo XIV Tells Sick, Disabled Believers

Pope Leo XIV has rejected assisted dying as a normal practice, saying no law should undermine the dignity of human life.

The Pope made the remarks on Sunday while addressing sick and disabled believers at the Catholic pilgrimage site of Lourdes during his landmark visit to France.

“No human law should ever make you lose the certainty of your dignity,” he told the faithful.

He also warned against presenting assisted dying as an act of compassion, urging believers to reject what he described as the practice of causing death under the guise of helping people.

“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 said.

The Pope further drew a distinction between what is permitted by law and what is considered morally acceptable.

“What is legal is not necessarily moral,” he added.

His comments come months after France’s parliament passed legislation establishing a right to assisted dying for certain adults suffering from an incurable condition.

The law, approved in June, has faced strong opposition from the Catholic Church in France, which described the legislation as a serious “rupture.”