Assisted dying not ‘normal’ – Pope

Pope Leo XIV asserted on Sunday that assisted dying is not a "normal" practice during his visit to France, a country that recently legalized the procedure for certain patients. Addressing believers who were ill or disabled at the pilgrimage site of Lourdes, the Pope emphasized that "no human law should ever make you lose the certainty of your dignity."

He further warned against the temptation to cause death under the guise of compassion, stating, "It is impossible to regard causing death as something normal." The Pope stressed that while something may be legal, it does not automatically make it moral. France's parliament approved legislation in June allowing a right to assisted dying for some adults with incurable conditions, a move that received strong condemnation from the Catholic Church in France, who viewed it as a significant "rupture" in their beliefs.