On the third day of his Apostolic Journey to France, Pope Leo XIV spoke out against assisted suicide and euthanasia during an address at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, shortly after a new French law regarding ‘aid in dying’ took effect.
After celebrating Mass in Paris with around 800,000 attendees on Saturday, Pope Leo traveled to Lourdes, a town in the Pyrenees known worldwide as a significant pilgrimage destination, largely due to the Virgin Mary’s apparitions to Saint Bernadette in 1858.
Every year, millions visit the town, and many of them are sick pilgrims seeking both spiritual and physical healing at the Grotto. To support these individuals, numerous volunteers, known as ‘hospitalités,’ gather to assist those in need during their pilgrimage to the Sanctuary.
Addressing a group of sick pilgrims on Sunday, Pope Leo stated that those who are ill should not be seen as a “burden” but rather as the “beating heart of our humanity” and a “precious treasure for the Church.”
“It is a joy for me to be with you here in Lourdes, a place where, for more than a hundred and fifty years, pilgrims from all around the world have come to lay their physical, psychological, and spiritual sufferings before Jesus through Mary. Here, fragility is not concealed but becomes an opportunity for a sacred encounter,” he expressed.
In his address, the Pope commented on the increasing trend in liberal Western nations to legalize assisted suicide—which involves providing patients with drugs to end their lives—and euthanasia, where medical professionals actively intervene to cause death under the pretense of alleviating suffering.
“Every human being is ‘worthy’ simply by existing and is destined for eternity. Our dignity is not something to be measured or debated,” he remarked.
“I understand that for some of you, due to specific illnesses and often overwhelming pain, the future may seem bleak and hopeless. However, no law should ever strip you of the certainty of your dignity. In fact, it’s precisely in light of this unalienable dignity that we must resist the temptation to end life under the guise of compassion. Causing death cannot be normalized, and legality does not equate to morality,” Leo asserted.
“In Lourdes, the city of the sick and of hope, I urge the healthcare community to remember the true essence of your vocation, which is to care for those who suffer, not to end their lives. Dear friends, be devoted champions of life. No one should, based on mere algorithms, decide the fate of an embryo or an elderly person! Medicine must not become an agent of programmed death!” he emphasized.
Recently, France became the fifth European country to allow both assisted suicide and euthanasia, joining Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain. Moreover, assisted suicide has also been legalized in Austria and Switzerland, along with both euthanasia and assisted suicide in other Western nations such as Canada.
The Pope had also addressed the issue of life during his visit to the Élysée Palace on Friday, where he met with President Emmanuel Macron, known for his government’s 2024 constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion.
Leo described the protection of life as the “essential foundation of every other human right,” referencing the French Revolution motto of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity). He further cautioned against threats such as genetic manipulation, organ trafficking, and surrogacy.
“Today, there’s a temptation to rely on science to resolve every form of suffering, which can lead to misguided expectations. When science and technology are not guided by greater wisdom, they can provide immediate solutions that seem to address pain but may dangerously divert people from their true aspirations,” he mentioned.
In addition to critiquing the anti-life laws passed under Macron’s administration, the Pope subtly called out the President’s secular stance, warning that a “President of the Republic who claims to be indifferent toward the Church and Catholics is neglecting his responsibilities.”
This remark came as it emerged that President Macron would not participate in any public functions during the Pope’s four-day visit, including the Mass at Place de Concorde on Saturday. While his wife Brigitte and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attended, Macron chose to stay away. Several presidential candidates, such as Marine Le Pen, Edouard Philippe, and Gabriel Attal, took a different approach and participated.
Macron’s choice to abstain was met with criticism, especially from National Rally MP Julien Odoul, who expressed embarrassment over the president’s behavior, suggesting it tarnished France’s international image and its relationship with the Vatican.
“In the past ten years, what has he accomplished? He has tarnished everything, distorted everything, and shown disrespect for everything,” criticized the MP, describing Macron as someone who respects neither the sacred nor the customs and traditions of the country.
