Pope Leo laments ‘false compassion’ of assisted suicide, tells the sick they are not a burden

September 28, 2026

Pope Leo XIV met with sick pilgrims at Lourdes and said that “medicine must never become the servant of programmed death.”

In a September 27 meeting with the staff and community of the Accueil Notre-Dame (video), which hosts sick and disable pilgrims, Pope Leo said that “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,” he continued. “It is impossible to regard causing death as something normal. What is legal is not necessarily moral.”

The Pontiff concluded:

Dear brothers and sisters who are sick, I want to tell you that you are not a burden. You are the beating heart of our humanity and a precious treasure for the Church. I carry in my prayers the trials you are going through. My thoughts are also with all those who cannot be here and who, from their homes or hospital rooms, are united with us in this gathering. I entrust all of you to the maternal love of the Mother of the Lord, asking her to obtain for you the consolations of her Son Jesus. May God bless and protect you.

During his visit to the Accueil Notre-Dame, the Pontiff also heard testimonies from the center’s director, a physician, and a volunteer.

 

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Further information:

• Apostolic Journey to France: Meeting with the Staff and Sick Community of the Accueil Notre-Dame (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 9/27/26)
• Pope in Lourdes: 'Medicine must never be servant of programmed death' (Vatican News, 9/27/26)
• In Lourdes Pope Leo hears testimonies of service, suffering and hope (Vatican News, 9/27/26)