(LifeSiteNews) — Preaching in France this weekend, Cardinal Robert Sarah appeared to strongly condemn the nation’s push to legalize assisted suicide, calling the move “barbaric and inhuman.”

“In our Western societies, God has been relegated,” lamented Cardinal Sarah. “Religion is presented as emotional well-being, a philanthropy for migrants or homeless people, a spirituality of personal development. But that is not faith.”

The cardinal’s forthright homily came during the weekend celebrations at the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-d’Auray for the 400th anniversary of the apparitions of Saint Anne to the Breton peasant Yvon Nicolazic, in a celebration which drew around 30,000 people. Sarah, a prominent cardinal known for his vocal defense of liturgical and moral orthodoxy, was appointed as papal representative for the event by Pope Francis and confirmed in this role by Leo XIV.

For Sarah, his homily served not only as a means to correct errors about the meaning of religion, but also as a key opportunity to remind France of its Catholic history and to condemn the current legislative maneuvers to undermine the sanctity of human life.

“Do not desecrate France with laws that promote death where God wants life,” he urged. “This nation is a holy land, reserved for God.”

On May 27, the French National Assembly voted 305 to 199 to advance a bill which would legalize the “right to assisted dying.” The bill is not yet law, but momentum appears to be with it, suggesting that it will be hard to prevent its passage into becoming official legislation.

It must next proceed through various stages of the upper house, namely the Senate, before then returning to the National Assembly. The process is anticipated to be lengthy but, crucially, it has the support of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has made no secret of his backing of assisted suicide.

Currently, the proposed bill outlines that individuals seeking to commit suicide with the assistance of others must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a French national or with a permanent residence in the nation.
• Have a serious and incurable condition, whatever the cause, that is life-threatening, in an advanced or terminal stage.
• Be experiencing physical or psychological suffering related to this condition, which is either resistant to treatment or unbearable according to the person when they have chosen not to receive or to stop receiving treatment.
• Be capable of expressing their wishes freely and in an informed manner.

Pope Leo has also made what appeared to be a criticism of the bill, though without mentioning it directly. During a June 4 general audience, the new Pope specifically addressed French pilgrims present, saying:

Our world struggles to find value in human life, even in its last hour: may the Spirit of the Lord enlighten our minds, so that we know how to defend the intrinsic dignity of every human person.

Sarah then took to social media platform X to share the French version of Vatican News’ report on Leo’s words – a report which also pointed to the May 27 vote for assisted suicide.

Importance of reverent liturgy

Sarah has been vocal in defending traditional Catholic practices, such as receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue and celebrating Mass facing East, or ad orientem. He has also warned that the Church is facing a “grave risk” of schism over morality and also told priests that they cannot shy away from the “hard” teachings of the Church on abortion and homosexuality.

The cardinal – formerly prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW) – returned to the topic of the liturgy this weekend in Brittany. Worshipping God, he noted, “is the highest expression of our gratitude to God and the most beautiful response of our lives to the exceptional love he has for us.”

Continuing, Sarah added:

To worship God, we must set ourselves apart, in silence. Come here in the silence of the heart to listen to God. This is called entering into a sacred attitude. There are sacred places, places reserved for God, chosen by God. These places cannot be desecrated by activities other than prayer, silence and liturgy.

Our churches are not performance halls, nor concert halls or cultural or entertainment activities. The church is the house of God. It is exclusively reserved for him. We enter with respect and reverence, properly dressed because we tremble before the greatness of God. We do not tremble with fear but with respect, amazement and admiration.

He also urged all the pilgrims present to implement a conversion of self, encouraging them to “rebuild the church of our soul, it is time to confess, confess the sins you have committed in word or deed, night or day, confess in this favorable time and on the day of salvation receive the heavenly treasure.”

Sarah participated in the conclave which elected Leo XIV, and has been keen to demonstrate his support for the new Pope, along with highlighting the importance of prayer for him. The cardinal turned 80 in June, meaning he is ruled out of participating in a future papal conclave.