Pope Leo XIV has voiced profound disappointment after his home state of Illinois passed legislation permitting medically assisted suicide, setting the Vatican on a collision course with a growing number of US jurisdictions.
A Personal Appeal from the Pontiff
The Pope, who was born and raised in Chicago, revealed he had spoken 'explicitly' with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Tuesday, urging him not to sign the bill. He was joined in his appeal by Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich. Despite these personal interventions, the Democratic governor enacted the legislation, known as 'Deb's Law,' on December 12.
'We were very clear about the necessity to respect the sacredness of life from the very beginning to the very end, and unfortunately, for different reasons, he decided to sign that bill,' Pope Leo told reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo. 'I am very disappointed about that.'
The Human Story Behind the Legislation
The law is named for Deb Robertson, an Illinois resident living with a rare terminal illness who testified before lawmakers. Supporters, including Governor Pritzker, argue it provides autonomy to patients facing irreversible suffering, allowing them to make deeply personal end-of-life decisions.
'This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy,' Pritzker stated last week, saying he had been moved by the stories of terminally ill patients.
A Broader Moral and Political Clash
The decision places the Vatican in direct opposition to a significant trend in the United States. Eleven other states and the District of Columbia now allow medically assisted suicide, with Delaware's law taking effect on January 1. Seven additional states are reportedly considering similar measures.
Pope Leo cited core Catholic teaching, which calls for the defence of life from conception to natural death, forbidding both abortion and euthanasia. He said the decision was especially painful given Illinois's deep Catholic roots.
'I would invite all people, especially in these Christmas days, to reflect upon the nature of human life, the goodness of human life,' he urged. 'God became human like us to show us what it means really to live human life.'
In a forceful joint response, Illinois's six Catholic dioceses warned the law puts the state 'on a dangerous and heartbreaking path,' arguing it risks normalising suicide instead of expanding palliative care. Opponents have vowed to push for the law's repeal or modification.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is now tasked with drafting regulations and oversight procedures before the law takes effect next year, ensuring the debate over patient autonomy, faith, and the ethics of dying will continue.
