in Lourdes, Catholic media warn of an “anthropological rupture”

The truth and the voice of the most vulnerable

The press release, written in Lourdes, “the city par excellence of the sick and the poor”, insists on “the voice of the most vulnerable in our societies”. The truth that the Catholic media want to serve cannot be reduced to juxtaposed opinions. It is not resolved – like a problem awaiting its solution – by the voice of the greatest number or the strongest. The “voice of the most vulnerable” that she wants to listen to may be that of people asking to end their lives, without being limited to it.

The Catholic understanding of truth presupposes an essential actor: Christ, in solidarity with the poor and the most vulnerable. For Christians, these faces and the face of Christ are intertwined. Pope Leo reminded us a few months ago: contact with the poor – as well as with the sick and vulnerable – is “a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history.” (Dilexi Te5) A right to receive active assistance in dying establishes a terrible power over oneself and over others, in the illusory search to restore a grandeur and dignity that is wrongly assumed to be lost because of what affects the person.

The text of the press release

“We, the French Catholic media, are gathered as every year for our Saint-François-de-Sales Days, in Lourdes, the city par excellence of the sick and the poor. At the same time, our country is debating a law aimed at legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide.

For the first time in its history, our Federation wishes to express a public opinion and express its concern about the anthropological break represented by this law. We call on elected officials to appreciate its full seriousness.

As part of our information mission in the service of truth, we will remain particularly attentive to ensuring that the voices of the most vulnerable in our societies continue to be heard.”