French bishops urge Catholic hospitals to prepare to refuse euthanasia

The bishops of France told Catholic healthcare institutions to act now so they can refuse to carry out euthanasia and assisted suicide, as a new law is expected to permit from January 2027.

In a letter issued Nov. 8 at the close of their autumn plenary assembly in Lourdes, the bishops explained it was “urgent” for the institutions to update their charters, statutes, and internal rules.

The National Assembly passed the law on July 15. On Aug. 14 the Constitutional Council upheld it with three interpretive reservations, one allowing health institutions not to provide “aid in dying” when it is contrary to their statutes or mission.

To explain the urgency of the matter, the French prelates pointed to a precedent in Belgium: A clause in its 2002 euthanasia law was removed in 2020 partly over claims it had been poorly managed. “This point must therefore be handled with rigor and competence,” they wrote.

The French bishops recalled Pope Leo XIV’s words in Lourdes during his September visit to France: “It is impossible to consider giving death as normal. What is legal is not necessarily moral.” A doctrinal and pastoral document for healthcare leaders, caregivers, and chaplains…