Pope Leo XIV On 4th Day Of Visit To France Condemns Assisted Suicide

CRUX Now --------- Pope Leo XIV continued his four-day visit to France on Sunday, spending the day at the healing shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.

Addressing the the patients and staff of Accueil Notre Dame, a community dedicated to welcoming and caring for the sick and dying, the Pontiff said, "I know that for some of you, because of particular illnesses and, at times, terrible pain, your horizon may appear dark, uncertain and without hope.

"But no human law should ever make you lose the certainty of your dignity.

"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.

"It is impossible to regard causing death as something normal. What is legal is not necessarily moral.

"Here in Lourdes, the city of the sick and of hope, I appeal to the entire healthcare community to remember the profound meaning of your vocation, which is to care for a suffering person, not to eliminate that person."

The pope's remarks were pointed – France recently passed an assisted suicide law over objections from the bishops and medical professionals – and he had words for caregivers, as well.

Crux Now closely followed the legislative battle over assisted suicide in France, and we'll continue to follow the Holy Father's visit to the country, fille aînée de l'Église.