Pope Leo XIV in Lourdes: Medicine cannot be the servant of death

It is a great joy for me to be able to spend this time with you here in Lourdes, where for over 150 years pilgrims from all over the world have been coming to entrust their physical, mental and spiritual suffering to Jesus through Mary, said Pope Leo XIV at the center that welcomes almost 30,000 people a year, also providing them with medical assistance during their stay.

Pope: In God's eyes, no one goes unnoticed

Leo XIV emphasized that "here fragility is not hidden, but becomes a space of holy encounter." He also emphasized that in God's eyes no one goes unnoticed. As he said, currently "some societies are inclined to look away or close their eyes to the dignity of human life."

The Pope assured that he is aware that for some believers, due to specific illnesses and sometimes terrible pain, the future may seem dark, uncertain and without a solution.

However, no human law can deprive you of the certainty of your dignity. On the contrary, precisely in the name of this inalienable dignity of the human person, the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion must be firmly rejected. Inflicting death cannot be considered normal. Not everything that is legal is morally right - noted Leo XIV in the country where the law on assisted dying was passed.

The Pope appealed: Here, in Lourdes - the city of the sick and hope - I call on the entire community of health care workers to remember the deep meaning of their vocation: to care for the suffering person, not to deprive him of life.

Yes, dear friends, be zealous servants of life, the Pope asked during the meeting attended by sick and disabled people and volunteers who help them. He emphasized that no one ever has the right to decide on the life of a specific embryo or a specific elderly person based on laboratory algorithms.

He emphasized that "medicine must never become the handmaiden of programmed death." In the morning, the Pope celebrated mass on the grounds of the sanctuary, attended by approximately 150,000 people. people from all over the world.