France bishops call for novena prayer ahead of end‑of‑life law vote

The French Bishops' Conference has organized a nine‑day novena of prayer from 21 to 29 June, inviting Catholics to pray for the protection and dignity of human life. The prayer campaign is timed for the National Assembly's vote on 30 June on a proposed law that would legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide in France. The bishops have repeatedly warned that ending life is not care, urging legislators to "accompany" the suffering, and have condemned the proposal as a "moral imprudence" and a "democratic disrespect." They cite a papal statement that "the defence of human life… is a civilisational objective" and ask the prayers to influence the conscience of parliamentarians during the third‑reading debate.

The initiative reflects the Catholic Church’s broader opposition to the legislation, positioning spiritual petitioning as a means to affect the political process ahead of the decisive vote.