Pope Leo XIV disappointed Illinois approved medically assisted suicide law
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker meets with Pope Leo XIV
Illinois Democratic Gov. Jay Robert “JB” Pritzker met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, a native of the Land of Lincoln, at the Vatican this week. (Source: REUTERS — No need for Fox Weather/Outkick)
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Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that he was “very disappointed” after his home state of Illinois approved a law allowing medically assisted suicide.
Leo, who grew up in Chicago, said he spoke “openly” to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker while he was at the bill table and warned him not to sign the bill, saying the measure in question undermines respect for human life “from the very beginning to the end.”
“Unfortunately, for different reasons, he decided to sign this bill,” Leo told reporters outside Rome. he said. “I’m very disappointed about this.”
The Medical Assistance in Dying Act, also known as the “Deb’s Law,” was signed into law by Pritzker on Dec. 12 and allows eligible terminally ill adult patients to receive life-ending medications after consulting with their doctors.
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Pope Leo XIV meets with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker during a meeting at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on November 19. (Simone Risoluti – Vatican Pool/Vatican Media via Getty Images)
The measure is named after Deb Robertson, a lifelong Illinois resident who has a rare, fatal disease and pushed for the bill’s passage.
The law will go into effect in September 2026, giving participating healthcare providers and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) time to implement necessary processes and protections.
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich also urged Pritzker not to sign the bill, but his efforts were unsuccessful, Leo said.
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Pope Leo XIV said he was deeply disappointed that Illinois passed a law allowing medically assisted suicide. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)
“I invite all people, especially during these Christmas days, to reflect on the nature and goodness of human life,” Leo said. he said. “God became human like us to show us what it truly means to live human life, and I hope and pray that respect for life will once again increase in all moments of human existence, from birth to natural death.”
The state’s six Catholic dioceses also criticized Pritzker’s decision to sign the bill, saying it set Illinois “on a dangerous and heartbreaking path.”
Illinois is among the growing number of states that allow medically assisted suicide. Eleven other states and the District of Columbia allow medically assisted suicide, and seven others are considering allowing it, according to the advocacy group Death with Dignity.
After signing the bill, Pritzker said the legislation would allow patients with terminal illnesses to “avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives” and that it would be “thoughtfully applied” to guide doctors and patients in making deeply personal decisions.
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Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Medical Assistance in Dying Act on December 12, allowing eligible terminally ill adult patients to receive life-ending medications after consulting with their doctors. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
