LOURDES, France — Pope Leo XIV firmly denounced the legalization of medically assisted dying on Sunday, labeling the practice immoral “false compassion” while reaffirming the Catholic Church’s stance on human life during a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
Speaking on the third day of his trip to France, the American pontiff addressed the global debate surrounding end-of-life care. His comments follow recent French legislation permitting adults diagnosed with incurable conditions to access lethal drugs.
The Pope delivered his message during a outdoor Mass attended by roughly 150,000 people—including many ill and disabled pilgrims—near the sanctuary’s main basilica, before touring a local care facility. He urged those suffering from severe pain to recognize their intrinsic worth.
“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,” Pope Leo said.
“What is legal is not necessarily moral,” he added.
Catholic doctrine teaches that human life must be safeguarded from conception to natural death, placing the Church in direct opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide. Beyond French policy, the pontiff also targeted a new medical-aid-in-dying law that was recently enacted in his home state of Illinois.
The visit to Lourdes—a renowned sanctuary near the Spanish border famous for its spring waters and 72 officially recognized miraculous healings—underscored the Church’s focus on the care of vulnerable and terminal patients.
During the same trip, Pope Leo met privately with seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse, continuing a pastoral practice aimed at addressing historical failures by Church leadership to protect minors.
“It was extraordinary,” said survivor Jean-Marie Delbos during a subsequent press briefing. “I never thought I would have a pope before me.”