Pritzker Reportedly Expected To Sign Assisted Suicide Bill Weeks After Meeting Pope Leo XIV

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to sign an assisted suicide bill Friday, just weeks after meeting with Pope Leo XIV — a Chicago native and a staunch opponent of such legislation.

The End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act allows terminally ill patients to request aid-in-dying medications after meeting specific safeguards. The legislation passed both chambers of the state legislature. (RELATED: Supreme Court Considers Whether Man Is Too Stupid To Die)

Pritzker met with the first American pope at the Vatican in November. The two discussed immigration policies, and Pritzker invited the pontiff to visit his Illinois hometown. It’s unclear whether they discussed the assisted suicide legislation.

“It was an honor for MK and me to meet with [the pope] — a son of Illinois — to express the pride and reverence of the people of this great state,” Pritzker wrote. “Pope Leo XIV’s message of hope, compassion, unity and peace resonates with Illinoisans of all faiths and traditions.”

It was an honor for MK and me to meet with @Pontifex – a son of Illinois – to express the pride and reverence of the people of this great state. Pope Leo XIV’s message of hope, compassion, unity, and peace resonates with Illinoisans of all faiths and traditions. pic.twitter.com/C4Y5NYtKxD

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) November 19, 2025

Days after the Vatican meeting, the bill reached Pritzker’s desk. He is expected to sign it Friday, NBC Chicago reporter Mary Ann Ahern wrote on X.

Pope Leo XIV has consistently opposed euthanasia and assisted suicide, defending what he calls the “intrinsic dignity of every human person” from conception to natural death.

“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. God bless you,” the pope said in June, according to the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois, which represents the church’s public policy positions in the state, urged Catholics to “please continue to pray for vulnerable populations and for those who feel hopeless and are near end-of-life” after the bill’s passage.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 25: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker smiles during a 2024 United States Secret Service Democratic National Convention security briefing on July 25, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Vincent Alban/Getty Images)

In a letter to Pritzker signed by several Catholic leaders, the conference argued the governor faces a choice: ensure quality palliative care from professionals or family members, or create an environment where insurance companies offer “low-cost lethal drugs to those who cannot access quality end-of-life care.”

“The choice is clear. Please veto SB 1950,” the letter reads.

The letter also warns that assisted suicide availability will likely increase overall suicides, that insurance companies may offer it as a cheaper alternative to expensive treatments, and that Illinois will eventually weaken the bill’s current safeguards — as other states have done.

Pritzker’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.