Pope Leo XIV has condemned the legalisation of medically assisted dying, describing it as “false compassion” and reaffirming the Catholic Church’s opposition to practices that deliberately end human life.
Speaking on Sunday during a visit to Lourdes, the French Catholic pilgrimage site renowned for its association with miraculous cures, the Pontiff said during Mass attended by about 150,000 people that the legalisation of assisted dying did not make the practice morally acceptable.
“On the contrary, it is precisely in the name of this inalienable dignity of the human person that we must reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion. What is legal is not necessarily moral.”
Pope Leo
The American-born Pope’s remarks came on the third day of his visit to France, where debates over abortion and medically assisted dying have featured prominently in his public addresses.
France recently passed legislation allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication, following years of political debate over end-of-life care and patients’ rights.
Leo’s intervention reinforced the Catholic Church’s longstanding teaching that human life must be protected from conception until natural death, placing it in opposition to abortion, euthanasia and medically assisted dying.
During his homily, the pontiff also sought to reassure people living with serious illnesses and disabilities, emphasising that their dignity remains intact regardless of their physical condition or suffering. “Your crutches, your wheelchairs and your hidden tears are not obstacles; instead, they are the very place where you are fully respected and welcomed,” he said.
He described Lourdes as a place where the sanctity of human life is celebrated and encouraged sick and disabled pilgrims to recognise their inherent worth. “Lourdes is blessed as a place for professing the beauty and sanctity of life, for life is welcomed here as a precious gift from God,” he said.
The Pope celebrated Mass on the prairie beside Lourdes’ main basilica before visiting a care centre for sick people within the sanctuary grounds. His visit to the shrine followed his arrival from Paris on Saturday evening, when he prayed at the Grotto of Apparitions and drank from its spring.
Lourdes became a major Catholic pilgrimage destination after the Church recognised accounts of visions of the Virgin Mary experienced by a young girl in 1858. Located near the Spanish border, the sanctuary attracts millions of pilgrims annually, including people with illnesses and disabilities who visit in the hope of finding healing.
Leo’s visit has drawn large crowds, including an estimated 800,000 people who attended his Mass at Paris’ Place de la Concorde.
Throughout his visit, the pope has emphasised the need to uphold Catholic teachings on the sanctity of life, particularly amid changing laws and public attitudes towards abortion and assisted dying.
His remarks in Lourdes placed particular emphasis on the dignity of people experiencing severe illness, arguing that suffering should not diminish their value or justify deliberately ending their lives.
Pope Leo Meets Clergy Abuse Survivors Amid Calls for Accountability
Beyond his remarks on assisted dying, Leo’s visit to Lourdes also brought renewed attention to the Catholic Church’s response to sexual abuse, as the pontiff prepared to meet seven survivors later on Sunday.
The meeting was expected to include one person who was abused as an adult, reflecting the wider scope of the Church’s continuing abuse crisis.
The French Catholic Church has faced a major reckoning over decades of sexual abuse by clergy and other church workers. An independent report published in 2021 estimated that approximately 330,000 children had experienced abuse over 70 years, involving an estimated 3,000 priests and other Church personnel.
Although the report’s methodology and conclusions have faced criticism, French bishops have established an independent compensation system for victims. The system has recommended payments exceeding €20 million, equivalent to about $22.7 million, to date.
During a meeting with French bishops on Sunday morning, Leo praised their efforts to respond to victims and urged them to continue addressing the consequences of the abuse scandal.
He also acknowledged that the crisis had contributed to declining interest in priestly vocations in France, with the priesthood increasingly viewed with suspicion in some quarters.
“For priestly vocations to flourish, the priest must be welcomed, accepted, and loved,” Leo said.
However, the planned meeting with survivors came amid calls for greater accountability and concerns about the Church’s handling of abuse allegations.
On the day the pope arrived in Paris, a group of survivors published an open letter calling on him to acknowledge the Church’s responsibility for the scandal. The letter, published by the French newspaper Libération, questioned the role of bishops in overseeing investigations involving priests, arguing that they could face conflicts of interest when serving as both spiritual leaders and decision-makers in abuse cases.
“The Church must relinquish its position as both judge and party to the proceedings,” the survivors wrote.
They also expressed dissatisfaction with the decision to limit the meeting with Leo to seven survivors, all selected by the Church.
The meeting in Lourdes therefore comes amid continuing demands from survivors for greater institutional accountability and independent processes for addressing abuse allegations.
As Leo concludes his visit to France, his remarks on assisted dying and his engagement with abuse survivors have highlighted two significant issues confronting the Catholic Church: its defence of traditional teachings on the sanctity of life and its continuing efforts to address the legacy of sexual abuse.
