Victoria, Australia has experienced a 400% increase in euthanasia cases over five years, with 512 deaths by euthanasia and assisted suicide recorded in 2025-26, representing 1.1% of all deaths in the region that year. Significant expansions to the assisted suicide and euthanasia laws are set to take effect in 2027, including extending the prognosis limit from six to twelve months and allowing doctors to raise the topic unprompted with patients nearing the end of life.
During his visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the dignity of the sick and disabled, stating that human frailty does not diminish a person's worth and that no one is turned away due to their condition. His message came amid France's recent legalization of assisted dying, a law opposed by the Catholic Church, which warned of potential social inequalities and pressured vulnerable populations, while the pope reiterated the Church's stance against assisted dying during his apostolic journey.
Pope Leo, speaking in Lourdes, France, condemned euthanasia and assisted suicide, emphasizing the dignity of human life. He acknowledged the suffering of those with illnesses and pain but rejected causing death under the guise of false compassion.
Allison Ducluzeau, diagnosed with stage 4 peritoneal carcinomatosis in Canada, was denied surgery by the British Columbia Cancer Agency and was instead suggested to consider assisted dying. She later received treatment in Maryland at Mercy Medical Center, where she was successfully treated and became cancer-free, highlighting differences in care between socialized medicine and the U.S.
Brigitte Stegemann was an 83-year-old mother of two who is mentioned in the context of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 2020 document Samaritanus Bonus states that euthanasia is considered a crime against human life because it involves directly causing the death of an innocent human being.
Pope Leo XIV condemned assisted dying as immoral and described it as "false compassion" during his visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, emphasizing that causing death should never be treated as normal or moral despite legal permissions. He urged healthcare professionals to care for suffering persons rather than eliminate them and reaffirmed the Church's teaching that every human life must be protected from conception until natural death, opposing abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.
In 2024, Canada recorded 16,499 euthanasia deaths, which is 1,135 more than the 15,364 firearm homicide deaths in the United States during the same year, according to data from Health Canada and the CDC. This comparison has been highlighted by U.S.
Concerns about societal attitudes toward the unborn, elderly, and seriously ill, highlighting the expansion of abortion and euthanasia practices in North America and Europe, including specific cases in Canada and the United States. It also addresses the pressure on parents of children with disabilities to abort, the ethical implications of treating dependency as grounds for ending life, and recent political rhetoric that some interpret as endorsing violence, framing these issues as part of a broader cultural shift regarding the value of human life.
A two-year-old child in the Netherlands was euthanised due to severe medical conditions including brain damage, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, epileptic seizures, and respiratory difficulties, marking the first known case of euthanasia for a non-infant under 12 in the country. The decision was made after medical professionals and the child's parents concluded that the suffering was unbearable and without prospect of relief, and the doctor acted with due care following consultations and second opinions as required by Dutch law, which permits assisted dying for terminally ill children aged one to 12 under strict conditions.
The first terminally ill child euthanized under the Netherlands' expanded assisted-dying laws was a 1-year-old baby born prematurely at 26 weeks with severe brain damage and multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy and infantile epileptic spasms syndrome. The euthanasia was performed lawfully after physicians determined the child's suffering was unbearable with no prospect of improvement, and the parents gave informed consent following consultation with independent doctors and adherence to legal protocols.
On September 27, Leo XIV visited the Accueil Notre-Dame Center at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, addressing patients and their companions about the dignity of human life and rejecting euthanasia and abortion despite their legal status in France. He emphasized that no human law should undermine the inalienable dignity of the person, urged healthcare workers to care for the suffering rather than eliminate life, and called for the development of palliative care and tender accompaniment of the sick.
Pope Leo XIV condemned France's recent legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide during a speech at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, emphasizing that killing the sick is neither compassionate nor moral despite its legality. He urged healthcare workers to care for suffering individuals with dignity and called for the rejection of death under the guise of false compassion, highlighting the importance of palliative care and the value of the sick to humanity and the Church.
During his Apostolic Journey to France, Pope Leo XIV condemned assisted suicide and euthanasia laws, calling them 'false compassion' and emphasizing the inalienable dignity of the human person. He urged the healthcare community to care for suffering individuals rather than eliminate them, criticizing recent French legislation legalizing assisted dying and warning against the moral dangers of such laws.
Illinois' assisted suicide law, known as Deb's Law, took effect on September 12, 2026, allowing hospitals and doctors to decide whether to participate, but several hospitals including Blessing Health System, Quincy Medical Group, and Jacksonville Memorial Health have opted out of participating in medical aid in dying. The Little Sisters of the Poor, along with Cardinal Blase Cupich and other religious groups, have sued the state to block enforcement of the law against them, resulting in a temporary injunction protecting these groups from being forced to participate in assisted suicide.
Pope Leo, speaking in Lourdes shortly after France legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia, stated that causing death under the guise of false compassion must be rejected. He emphasized that it is impossible to regard causing death as something normal and that what is legal is not necessarily right.
Pope Leo XIV stated during his visit to France that assisted dying is not 'normal' and emphasized that causing death should not be regarded as acceptable, even under the guise of compassion. He made these remarks in response to France's recent legislation legalizing assisted dying for certain patients, highlighting that what is legal is not necessarily moral.
Pope Leo XIV spoke at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes on September 27, 2026, condemning assisted suicide and abortion of the disabled, emphasizing the sanctity of life and rejecting 'false compassion' that justifies causing death. During his visit, he encouraged the sick and disabled pilgrims, affirming their dignity and irreplaceable role in the Church, while also addressing the healthcare community to care for suffering persons rather than eliminate them.
Pope Leo XIV preached to the infirmed, disabled, and their caregivers at Lourdes, emphasizing that no human law should undermine their dignity. He issued a stark rejection of France's assisted dying law during this address at the Catholic shrine.
Pope Leo XIV visited the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France on September 26, 2026, where he knelt in the Grotto of Apparitions. During meetings with French bishops and ministry workers, he spoke against France's legalization of medically-assisted dying and abortion laws.
Pope Leo XIV condemned euthanasia and assisted suicide as neither compassionate nor moral during a meeting with about 5,000 sick people and caregivers at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, emphasizing the inalienable dignity of the human person and rejecting death under false compassion. He praised healthcare workers for their vocation to care for the suffering, called for palliative care structures, and encouraged the French bishops to continue opposing euthanasia following France's recent legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Pope Leo XIV condemned the legalization of medically assisted death as immoral 'false compassion' during his visit to Lourdes, France, emphasizing the inherent dignity of human life and rejecting euthanasia and assisted dying in line with Catholic teaching. He also addressed the ongoing clergy sexual abuse crisis in the French church, meeting with survivors and praising the bishops' response while acknowledging the impact of the scandal on priestly vocations.
Allison Ducluzeau, diagnosed with stage 4 peritoneal carcinomatosis in British Columbia, was denied surgery and instead referred to assisted dying by Canadian oncologists, but she sought treatment in the United States and became cancer-free. The article warns that socialized medicine, exemplified by Canada's healthcare system and policies like the Most Favored Nations drug pricing model, risks importing drug rationing and assisted suicide practices to the U.S., where assisted suicide is already legal in 13 states and increasing.
Pope Leo XIV visited Lourdes, France, where he spoke against euthanasia and medically assisted dying during a Mass attended by about 150,000 people, emphasizing respect for life from conception until natural death. Lourdes, known for miraculous cures and as a healing place for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, has recently covered mosaics by Rev.
Pope Leo XIV delivered a speech at the Elysée Palace in France, warning President Emmanuel Macron and French parliament to uphold the sanctity of life by denouncing surrogacy and assisted suicide. He emphasized that mutual respect and protection of every human life is a duty incumbent upon all, following a private meeting with Macron and in the presence of politicians, diplomats, civil authorities, and firemen who responded to the 2019 Notre-Dame fire.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Paris on September 25, 2026, and urged French leaders at the Élysée Palace to protect every human life, condemning assisted dying, abortion, and surrogacy while emphasizing the importance of welcoming life unconditionally and supporting the vulnerable. During his four-day apostolic journey to France, the pope also highlighted the Catholic Church's historical role in caring for the poor and underprivileged, and planned visits including a Mass in Paris, a prayer vigil at Stade de France, and a trip to the Marian shrine of Lourdes.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Paris on September 25, 2026, and urged French leaders at the Élysée Palace to protect every human life, condemning assisted dying, abortion, and surrogacy while emphasizing the importance of welcoming life unconditionally and supporting the vulnerable. During his four-day apostolic journey, the pope also highlighted France's deep Christian roots, addressed secularization challenges, and planned visits including a Mass with nearly 600,000 attendees and a prayer vigil for young people at Stade de France.
An 83-year-old woman named Brigitte Stegemann reportedly received medical assistance in dying (MAID) against her will at a care home in Cannifton, Ontario, despite her expressed wishes and a failed cognitive evaluation. Her family alleges procedural failures and is appealing to authorities to investigate the case, highlighting concerns about the adequacy of Canada's euthanasia safeguards as eligibility for MAID has expanded since 2016.
The End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act took effect in Illinois on September 12, allowing terminally ill patients to request prescription drugs to hasten death under specific conditions, prompting educational efforts by Catholic and pro-life groups to explain Church teachings and the law's implications. Jozef Zalot, a bioethicist with the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, are among those leading workshops and discussions to help clergy, laity, and families understand and respond to the new law while emphasizing compassionate accompaniment of the suffering.
In 2025, assisted suicides accounted for over 13% of deaths in Lanaudière, Quebec, and nearly 8% across the entire province, with British Columbia reporting over 7% of deaths by medical assistance in dying (MAID). Since MAID's enactment in 2016, approximately 76,475 Canadians have died by assisted suicide, with concerns raised about the normalization of assisted dying and cases where patients may not have been fully capable of consenting.
Bill C-218, which aims to prevent euthanasia for mental illness as the sole criterion, has undergone debates in the Canadian Parliament and is scheduled for a vote on October 7, 2026, with opposition from Bloc Québécois and support from some Conservative MPs. The debate includes concerns about the unpredictability of psychiatric prognoses, the risk of premature death for potentially recoverable patients, and the impact of euthanasia availability on suicide prevention and psychiatric treatment effectiveness.
