Pope Leo XIV traveled to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, using the pilgrimage site to issue a firm theological rejection of euthanasia and assisted suicide. The pontiff’s visit took place just over two months after the French government enacted legislation permitting medical professionals to administer lethal substances to patients under specific conditions.

A Defense of Human Dignity

Addressing the faithful at the shrine, where pilgrims have gathered for more than 150 years, Pope Leo emphasized that legal authorization does not confer moral legitimacy. He stated clearly that “what is legal is not necessarily moral,” distinguishing civil statute from ethical truth.

The pope directed his message toward the sick and suffering, declaring them central to human identity rather than peripheral burdens. “You are the beating heart of our humanity and a precious treasure for the Church,” he told those present. He argued that causing death can never be regarded as normal or acceptable within the moral order.

Palliative Care Over Elimination

In his remarks, Pope Leo urged healthcare workers to strengthen structures for palliative care and advance medical research. He defined the vocation of healthcare as caring for persons in suffering, explicitly rejecting the notion that eliminating a patient is a valid medical response.

The pontiff grounded his teaching in Scripture and magisterial tradition. He cited Genesis 1:27 and Psalm 8:5 to affirm that every person bears God’s living image. He also referenced Saint John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae, specifically paragraph 83, which addresses the sanctity of life.

The current pastoral theme at the Sanctuary focuses on the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, recorded in Luke 1:28. Pope Leo connected this biblical moment to the Church’s duty to welcome and protect all human life, from conception to natural death.