Pope Leo XIV said he was "very disappointed" that Illinois approved a medically assisted suicide law and urged greater respect for life. He told reporters he had urged Governor J.B. Pritzker not to sign the bill, and Cardinal Blase Cupich made a similar appeal. The law, known as "Deb's Law," honors Deb Robertson, a terminally ill resident who campaigned for the measure. Illinois' six Catholic dioceses criticized the decision, and advocates note eleven states plus D.C. already allow assisted dying.
Pope Says He Is 'Very Disappointed' After Illinois Approves Medically Assisted Suicide Law
Pope Leo XIV talks to journalists as he leaves the Castel Gandolfo residence to head to the Vatican, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday he was "very disappointed" that his home state of Illinois had approved a law permitting medically assisted suicide, and he urged a stronger respect for life.
The pope said he had spoken "explicitly" with Governor J.B. Pritzker and asked him not to sign the bill. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich made the same appeal, Pope Leo told reporters as he departed his country residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
"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," the pope said. "I am very disappointed about that."
Pritzker signed the legislation on Dec. 12. The measure is commonly called "Deb's Law," in honor of Deb Robertson, an Illinois resident living with a rare terminal illness who advocated for the change and testified about the suffering of patients and their families who want the option to decide when and how to end their lives.
Pritzker, a Democrat, has said he was moved by accounts from patients facing terminal illness.
Pope Leo, who grew up in Chicago, invoked Catholic teaching that calls for defending and protecting life from conception until natural death, and that rejects abortion and euthanasia.
"I would invite all people, especially in these Christmas days, to reflect upon the nature of human life, the goodness of human life," the pope said. "God became human like us to show us what it means really to live human life, and I hope and pray that the respect for life will once again grow in all moments of human existence, from conception to natural death."
The six Catholic dioceses in Illinois criticized Pritzker's signing, warning that the law puts the state "on a dangerous and heartbreaking path."
According to the advocacy group Death With Dignity, eleven other states and the District of Columbia permit medically assisted suicide. Delaware was the most recent, with its provision taking effect Jan. 1, 2026, and seven additional states are considering similar measures.
