Pope Leo XIV Denounces ‘False Compassion’ of Assisted Suicide During Lourdes Visit

Pope Leo XIV Begins Historic Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel appeared on ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss Pope Leo XIV’s four‑day trip to France, highlighting the pilgrimage to Lourdes and its spiritual importance.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255).

During a Sunday visit to medical facilities in Lourdes, France, Pope Leo XIV urged an end to medically assisted suicide.

After celebrating Mass in Lourdes, the pope addressed a cheering crowd, affirming the dignity of every human life and warning against the ‘false compassion’ presented by assisted suicide.

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Pope Leo XIV expressed disappointment that Illinois had enacted a law permitting medically assisted suicide. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP via Getty Images)

“It is precisely in the name of this inalienable human dignity that we must resist the temptation to cause death under the pretense of false compassion,” the pope said in French.

He added, “It is impossible to view causing death as normal. What is legal is not always moral.” Speaking in Lourdes, the city of the sick and of hope, he urged healthcare workers to recall the true purpose of their vocation: to care for the suffering, not to end lives.

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“‘No one should have the authority, based solely on lab results, to decide whether an embryo or an elderly person lives,’ he said. ‘Medicine must never serve the cause of programmed death.'”

Assisted suicide remains legal in several Western nations, including France.

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Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Lourdes during his French trip. ( )

The practice has come under heavy criticism, particularly in Canada where it has seen widespread use.

Last week, the family of an 83‑year‑old Canadian woman sought answers after she died under the nation’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, despite reports that she became distraught upon learning the procedure would end her life.

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The Daily Mail reported that 83‑year‑old Christian grandmother Brigitte Stegemann died under Canada’s MAID program on July 10.

Brigitte Kranendonk sits with her grandmother Brigitte Stegemann. ( )

Her granddaughter, Brigitte Kranendonk, explained that she had been her grandmother’s primary caregiver and that the family chose The Pearl care home in Cannifton because of her physical and mental decline.

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Kranendonk noted that her grandmother maintained a good appetite despite a stomach cancer diagnosis and declined MAID when it was offered.

She said she attended Stegemann’s second MAID assessment, during which the doctor used vague language and avoided the words death or dying.

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“‘She told my grandmother that MAID would involve medicine that would bring peace, and that she wouldn’t have a bowel movement,’ Kranendonk recalled.”

When Kranendonk objected, saying her grandmother did not understand, the doctor reportedly replied that they would ensure she felt no further pain.

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A doctor told The Daily Mail that Stegemann had been deemed eligible for MAID and that the procedure would go forward.

Kranendonk said that two days before Stegemann’s death, she asked her grandmother directly whether she understood that the scheduled procedure meant she would die.

Disability campaigners from “Distant Voices and Not Dead” hold a demonstration outside Westminster Hall in central London, on April 29, 2024, protesting against proposals to legalise assisted suicide in the UK. (Ben Stansall / AFP via Getty Images)

Kranendonk told the outlet that Stegemann began to cry, saying she felt she had made a mistake.

Stegemann said the doctor had told her that her grandmother could refuse MAID on the day of the procedure, but she remained uncertain whether genuine consent had been given, did not wish to add stress, and hoped to cherish the remaining time together.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events.

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