Pope Leo XIV has said assisted dying should not be considered “normal”, as he continued his landmark visit to France amid debate over legislation legalising the practice for some patients.
Speaking to sick and disabled worshippers at the Catholic pilgrimage site of Lourdes on Sunday, the Pope stressed that human dignity should not be diminished by laws permitting assisted death.
“No human law should ever make you lose the certainty of your dignity,” he said.
He warned against what he described as the use of compassion as a justification for ending human life.
“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 added.
The pontiff also drew a distinction between legality and morality, saying, “What is legal is not necessarily moral.”
His comments came during his visit to France, where Parliament passed legislation in June granting certain adults with incurable conditions access to assisted dying.
The legislation has faced opposition from the Catholic Church in France, which described its passage as a serious “rupture”.
