The bishops of France are urging the faithful to take part in a prayer novena that began June 21, as lawmakers move closer to a pivotal vote on legislation that could permanently legalize "assisted dying" in the country.

The establishment of a "right to die" in France has been the subject of numerous power struggles and a complex legislative process since 2022. On June 22, the bill to legalize it returned to the National Assembly for a third reading. After the June 30 vote, the bill will return briefly to the Senate one last time before the final vote of the National Assembly July 15.

"Theoretically and legally speaking, there are still many issues that should give rise to serious debate in the National Assembly," Lucie Pacherie told OSV News. A lawyer specializing in bioethics law, she is the spokesperson and advocacy director in France for the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, which advocates for respect for human life from its beginning to its natural end.

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"More than 1,800 amendments have been filed and could still be discussed to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable people," she said.

"But in reality, the situation is quite different," Pacherie explained. "There is strong pressure from the government to pass the bill in early July, as well as from the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, who has personally committed to it. It is clear that there is little chance of a genuine debate taking place during this third reading."

The rush, Pacherie said, stems from the fact that if the bill is not passed by mid-July, it will be interrupted by the August recess, and in September, parliamentarians "will be occupied with preparing for the budget vote. And then the presidential campaign will begin," she said.

French bishops called for prayers June 19, asking that "the Holy Spirit , at the dawn of new debates, enlighten consciences and renew us in hope, so that the dignity of all human life may be recognized, protected, and respected."

The bishops called the acceleration of the legislative process a "moral imprudence," and a "disrespect for democracy," with major human, ethical, and social consequences.

They also reminded all of the words of Pope Leo in the Spanish Parliament, where the pontiff stressed that "the defense of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization," emphasizing that "every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence.

Speaking to members of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation June 22 Pope Leo stressed: "Never should a doctor allow himself, on the basis of laboratory algorithms, to decide the life of this embryo or that elderly person!"

"Never can medicine become the servant of programmed death!" Pope Leo warned.

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On June 21, a special prayer intention was read in all parishes across France during Sunday Masses, inviting people to pray for French lawmakers, asking "they may guide our country on the path of life and that the dignity of every person may always be recognized, protected, and respected."

Since then, the novena of prayer launched by the bishops has been underway, promoted by the Catholic prayer platform Hozana, and with a prayer intention published for each day by the bishops' conference.

Organizations opposed to the proposed law continue to mobilize. The French Society for Support and Palliative Care warned that the proposed law would seriously undermine palliative care, the promotion of which, approved on May 26, received unanimous support in both the Senate and the National Assembly across all political parties.

On June 22, the Alliance Vita movement organized a national rally near the National Assembly in Paris, with the collective Les Éligibles et leurs Aidants, which brings together people with disabilities and their caregivers, planning their gathering on June 23. The Marche pour la Vie is also calling for a large demonstration on June 28 in the French capital.

Healthcare workers are also mobilizing to oppose the final vote as the new law would directly affect them.

"The proposed bill includes a conscience clause for healthcare providers who do not wish to perform euthanasia," Pacherie noted. "But it does not provide one for pharmacists, who will be required to dispense the lethal substance. Nor does it provide a clause for healthcare facilities, which will therefore be obligated to allow euthanasia to be performed on their premises."

"This will pose serious problems, particularly for Catholic institutions, such as those run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, for example," Pacherie said. "The challenge will be to raise awareness among individuals so they understand that euthanasia is not a solution and that it is better to do everything possible to promote palliative care that is accessible to all."

In this context, Pacherie mentioned the documentary film "Anesthesia," directed by Damien Boyer and set to be released June 24.

"The film follows Boyer's investigation into the tragic consequences of the legalization of euthanasia in Belgium, the Netherlands and Quebec, where it has already been legalized," she explained.

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"But one segment of the film focuses on the palliative care center in Gardanne in southern France, near Marseille, where people who are suffering receive professional and compassionate care of exceptional quality," Pacherie told OSV News.

"This clearly shows the direction in which we must continue our efforts, even if the law is passed. The goal remains to create places where everyone can live their lives while receiving quality support and care, so that no one is tempted to ask to die."