Illinois recently approved a law allowing assisted suicide, a measure strongly contested by the state’s Catholic bishops, who warned of its serious ethical implications and risks to the most vulnerable people. Despite these objections, Democratic Governor JB Pritzker signed the law on December 12, making Illinois one of the territories in the United States where this practice is legal.
As is customary on Tuesdays when leaving Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV responded impromptu to journalists’ questions before returning to Rome. In that brief exchange with the press, the Pontiff referred to one of the most sensitive political and moral issues of recent weeks in the United States: the legalization of assisted suicide in the state of Illinois, his home state.
Asked by Rudolf Gehrig, of EWTN News, the Pontiff confirmed that during his November meeting with Governor Pritzker, he explicitly asked the governor to veto the law. «I spoke very clearly with Governor Pritzker about this issue,» the Pope stated, explaining that he emphasized the need to defend the sacred value of all human life, from its beginning to its natural end. Leo XIV noted that Cardinal Blase Cupich also expressed his stance during the meeting.
Disappointment and Reaffirmation of the Value of Life
The Pontiff acknowledged his disappointment with the governor’s final decision. «We were very clear about the need to respect the sanctity of life from beginning to end. Unfortunately, for various reasons, he decided to sign the law,» he declared.
In his words to the journalists, Leo XIV also took the opportunity to call for reflection during the Christmas season on the value of human life. He recalled that the Incarnation shows the authentic meaning of life and expressed his hope that respect for life in all its stages will grow again, «from conception to natural death».