Assisted dying not ‘normal’ – Pope

Pope Leo XIV asserted on Sunday that assisted dying is not a "normal" practice during his ongoing visit to France. This assertion came as the country's parliament recently legalized the procedure for certain terminally ill patients. Addressing believers who are either sick or disabled, the Pope emphasized that no human law should ever undermine a person's dignity. He strongly rejected the notion of legitimizing death as a result of compassion, stating that it is "impossible to regard causing death as something normal."

The Pope's remarks come in the wake of France's June legislative decision to grant some adults the right to assisted dying for those suffering from incurable conditions. The Catholic Church in France vehemently criticized the legislation, deeming it a significant "rupture" in moral and ethical standards. All rights reserved.