For his third visit to the Vatican since he became president, Emmanuel Macron discussed the end of life with Pope Francis on Monday, while a convention on the subject will begin work in France at the end of December and worries the sovereign pontiff. .
“On the subject of the end of life, I spoke to the pope about it on the initiative, telling him that I did not like the word euthanasia,” the head of state told the weekly. Pointconsidering that “death is a moment of life, not a technical act”.
The pope spoke out against euthanasia last week, in front of French elected officials, calling for “accompanying life until its natural end”. The Vatican considers euthanasia a “crime against human life” and assisted suicide as a “grave sin”, those who have decided to resort to it not being able to receive the sacraments.
No constitutional reform in sight for the end of life
The citizens’ convention on the end of life will begin its meetings at the end of the year in order to guide the government on a possible change in law. The 150 citizens who will make up this working group will be drawn from this Tuesday, as indicated in a statement by the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Cese).
Emmanuel Macron, who plans to make life one of the major reforms of his second term, would like to favor the parliamentary route. “Constitutionally, the end of life is not a subject of referendum,” he says.