Pope Leo Slams 'False Compassion' of Assisted Suicide in France
Lourdes, France - Pope Leo delivered a powerful message to healthcare workers on Sunday, telling them that legal does not mean moral when it comes to ending lives. The Pope's remarks came during a visit to medical facilities in Lourdes, where he celebrated Mass and addressed a large, cheering crowd.
Speaking in French, the Pope emphatically affirmed the dignity of every human life and urged listeners to reject what he called the false compassion of medically assisted suicide.
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.
The Pope continued: It is impossible to regard causing death as something normal. What is legal is not necessarily moral. He appealed to the entire healthcare community, saying: Here in Lourdes, the city of the sick and of hope, I appeal to the entire healthcare community to remember the profound meaning of your vocation, which is to care for a suffering person, not to eliminate that person.
What did the Pope say about medicine and death?
The Pope was blunt in his condemnation of euthanasia and assisted suicide, stating: No one ever has the right based on to decide the life of a given embryo or elderly person. Medicine must never become the servant of programmed death.
His words carry weight as assisted suicide is now legal in many Western countries, including France. The practice has drawn sharp criticism, particularly in Canada, where it has become widespread.
Why is Canada's MAID program under fire?
Just last week, a family in Canada spoke out after an 83-year-old grandmother died through the country's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, despite allegedly becoming distraught when she realized the procedure would end her life.
According to The Daily Mail, the woman, identified as Christian grandmother Stegemann, was killed under MAID on July 10. Her granddaughter, Brigitte Kranendonk, said she was her grandmother's primary caregiver and that the family had placed her at The Pearl care home in Cannifton due to physical and mental decline.
Kranendonk said her grandmother still had a good appetite even after a stomach cancer diagnosis and rejected the idea of using MAID when it was first presented.
What happened during the MAID assessment?
Kranendonk was present for her grandmother's second MAID assessment and said the doctor used really loose terms, never using the words death or dying.
She explains MAID to my grandmother by saying: 'We're going to give you medicine, you're going to feel at peace. And I just want you to know that you won't have a bowel movement.'
When Kranendonk interjected, saying She doesn't understand what you're saying, the doctor allegedly looked at Stegemann and said: We're going to make sure you won't have any more pain.
According to the report, a doctor deemed Stegemann fit for MAID, and we're going to proceed.
Did the grandmother change her mind?
Kranendonk said that two days before her grandmother's death, she asked her directly whether she understood that the scheduled procedure meant she would die. According to Kranendonk's account, Stegemann began crying and said she had made a mistake.
The doctor had allegedly told Kranendonk that her grandmother could deny MAID on the day of the procedure. But Kranendonk was unsure if her grandmother had actually consented, did not want to cause her more stress, and wanted to enjoy what could be the last few days she had left with her grandmother.
What does this mean for Zambia?
For Zambians, this story is a stark reminder of the dangers of importing foreign values that disrespect the sanctity of life. In Zambia, we hold our elders in high regard. We do not discard our grandmothers and grandfathers when they become weak. We care for them, we feed them, we honor them.
The West may call it compassion to kill the sick and the elderly. But we in Zambia know better. True compassion is sitting by the bedside of a suffering loved one, holding their hand, and praying with them. True compassion is the Zambian way.
As Pope Leo said, what is legal is not necessarily moral. Just because Canada and France allow this practice does not mean Zambia should ever follow suit. Our Christian heritage and our African values demand we protect life from conception to natural death.
Let this be a warning to our leaders: do not let foreign powers pressure us into adopting laws that go against our faith and our culture. Zambia must remain a nation that values life above all else.
Mwansa Chisanga is a columnist for Zed Nation. He writes on faith, culture, and the defense of Zambian values.