Pope blasts assisted dying as 'false compassion' at French shrine known for miraculous cures

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV delivered a speech condemning the legalization of medically assisted death as immoral "false compassion." The remarks were made on his third day in France during a visit to the Lourdes Catholic shrine, a site renowned for miraculous cures of the sick.

The address underscored the Pope's firm stance on Catholic teachings regarding the sanctity of life. By choosing Lourdes as the venue for his pronouncement, the pontiff explicitly tied his rejection of assisted dying to the spiritual context of physical healing and faith.