Pope Leo XIV urges Macron to defend the right to life
The pope also criticises surrogacy in his first speech in France, following a meeting with the French president at the Élysée Palace
Pope Leo XIV called for the protection of human life on Friday, September 25, addressing French President Emmanuel Macron and political and diplomatic representatives gathered at the Élysée Palace.
FRANCE 🇫🇷
'A President who claims to be uninterested in the church and Catholics would be failing in his duty'
Pope Leo XIV to Emmanuel Macron in Paris pic.twitter.com/Nbuy8yHqjr— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 25, 2026
In the first public speech of his apostolic visit to France, the pontiff expressed the Church’s opposition to assisted suicide and surrogacy.
Leo XIV said that “the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right.”
🚨 🇫🇷 ELECTRIC scenes in Paris as TENS of THOUSANDS line the streets to greet Pope Leo XIV
Hundreds of young people are sprinting along to follow the popemobile pic.twitter.com/yL9VvmKugi— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 25, 2026
He set out this position before Macron and other political representatives without explicitly mentioning France’s new assisted dying legislation.
A warning over financial interests
The pontiff expressed concern about the risk of scientific and technological advances becoming subordinate to financial interests. In this context, he criticised genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the organ trade and practices that enable people to end their own lives with assistance.
His message placed human dignity and the protection of individuals at the heart of public responsibility, calling for scientific progress to remain grounded in ethical principles.
A private meeting before the address
According to The Catholic Herald, the speech followed a private meeting with Macron lasting around fifty minutes. The address was delivered to political representatives, members of the diplomatic corps and civil authorities at the start of the pope’s visit to the country.
Those attending also included some of the firefighters who tackled the blaze that devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2019. A visit to the cathedral is part of the programme for the pontiff’s first day in France.
The apostolic journey, scheduled for September 25–28, includes engagements in Paris, Lourdes and Metz. The programme also features an address at UNESCO headquarters and a gathering dedicated to Europe’s roots, peace and unity.