Originally published at The Crux
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Pope Leo XIV issued a forceful defense of human life and dignity on Monday, calling on Catholics in medicine and related fields of biomedical research to be “committed witnesses in society, dedicated to the constant pursuit of the common good.”
“This is the first great principle of the Church’s social teaching,” the pontiff said, “and the ‘social form’ of the dignity recognized in everyone.”
“The common good excludes none of those who were created in the image and likeness of God,” Leo said.
The pope also warned against abuse of technology to replace or supplant the humanity of medical caregiving.
The pope was speaking to members of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, the Paris-based organization founded in 1995 to continue the work of its namesake, Dr. Jérôme Lejeune, who dedicated his life to caring for patients with intellectual disabilities.
A French pediatrician and geneticist born in 1926, Lejeune famously discovered the genetic cause of Down Syndrome – Trisomy 21 – in 1958.
Throughout his life, Lejeune opposed prenatal testing for eugenic purposes and strongly advocated for the right to life and dignity of all people.
Lejeune was a key architect of the Pontifical Academy for Life and served briefly as
