Pope Leo XIV rejects assisted dying at Lourdes

Pope Leo XIV rejected assisted dying and the abortion of the disabled during a meeting with patients and caregivers at the Accueil Notre-Dame in Lourdes, France, on Sept. 27. Addressing approximately 150,000 pilgrims, the pope stated that human frailty does not diminish a person's dignity and warned against the temptation to end lives under the guise of false compassion.

The pope noted that what is legal is not necessarily moral, emphasizing that medicine must not become a servant to programmed death. He also stated that no one has the right to decide the life of an embryo or an elderly person based on laboratory algorithms.

During his visit to the sanctuary, which is part of an apostolic journey to France from Sept. 25 to 28, the pope told those suffering that they are at the heart of the Church and are not a burden. He described the shrine as a place where people can experience the love of God regardless of their physical limitations.