Dressed elegantly in a suit and tie, Jérôme appeared almost like a regular at the Vatican. Under the pontificate of Pope Francis, the young man, who has Down syndrome, had previously visited for a gathering of altar servers.
“We were also supposed to meet him for the canonization of St. Carlo Acutis, but the Pope died. So we attended Pope Francis’ funeral instead. It was really good — a historic moment,” he recalls.
When asked what he requested of Pope Leo XIV this morning, the young man — who shares a first name with the discoverer of trisomy 21 — simply replies, “I asked him to bless my whole family.”
A joyous family spirit reigned among the 80 members of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation received at the Vatican this Monday, June 22. It is, first and foremost, a family of the heart, characterized by a fraternal atmosphere among the staff. Almost 10 children with Down syndrome were present, accompanied by their parents. They symbolically represented the nearly 14,000 families supported by the foundation’s clinics in France, Spain, and Argentina.
Medicine must not serve death
The geneticist’s biological family was also present, including his children. His youngest son, Thomas Lejeune, was struck by the Pope’s address. He was particularly moved when Leo XIV affirmed that “medicine can never become the servant of programmed death.”
“A doctor should never allow himself, based on laboratory algorithms, to decide the life of an embryo or an elderly person,” the Pontiff emphasized. These remarks carry particular weight as the French National Assembly is examining a new draft of the "end-of-life" bill today as well.
“The Pope knew what he was talking about; he was expressing a deep conviction,” Thomas says. “My father began his service to life when he realized his discovery would be used to eliminate children rather than cure them.” He notes that the geneticist decided to “enter the fray” after a consultation where a young patient with Down syndrome, traumatized by a television program on abortion, begged him to protect the lives of unborn children with the same condition.
Taking people with trisomy seriously
Jean-Marie Le Méné, president of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, viewed the audience as a continuation of the strong bond between the professor and previous popes, particularly St. John Paul II, who had a close friendship with him. Popular culture has recently shown a surge of sympathy for people with Down syndrome — notably through the success of the French film Un p’tit truc en plus (A Little Something Extra). However, Le Méné believes more work is needed to ensure their integration is taken seriously.
“People with trisomy aren’t just here to make us laugh,” Le Méné warns. “There’s a battle to be fought, especially regarding the end-of-life law [in France]. It’s presented as a ‘wise text,’ yet it opens the door to many abuses. We must radically reject any legislation that leads to the kind of suffering we see in Belgium among the families we work with.”
Beyond supporting families, the Jérôme Legune Foundation engages in international advocacy. It is accredited by the UN in Geneva and contributes to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In its 2020–21 report, the committee highlighted discrimination in France against those with intellectual disabilities, citing low schooling rates and prenatal screening that often leads to their elimination.
Sainthood
Aude Dugast, the postulator for Jérôme Lejeune’s cause for beatification, explains that the case is currently awaiting an authenticated miracle. Recognized as Venerable since 2021, Professor Lejeune remains a touchstone for Leo XIV, who quoted the geneticist’s conviction: “Medicine is the hatred of disease and the love of the patient.”
Dugast also notes that the Pope’s speech echoed his recent encyclical on artificial intelligence. “Jérôme Lejeune often remarked that while technology is cumulative, wisdom is not. Medicine will only remain at the service of the human person if wisdom regulates it,” she says, drawing a parallel to the current euthanasia debates in France and beyond.
A disarming simplicity
This visit takes place in the delicate lead-up to Leo XIV’s scheduled visit to France this September. “Your words of life are highly anticipated there,” delegation members told him.
Yet, more than expert testimony, it was the words full of faith and tenderness of the children with Down syndrome in the front row that won the Pope’s heart. Despite a packed morning schedule, Leo XIV spent time with each one, leaning down to their level and embracing them. These ambassadors of divine grace seemed uniquely suited to support the Holy Father in his mission.
Eleven-year-old Théophile was shy with reporters but understood the heart of the meeting. He didn’t just come for the Pope’s support; he offered his own during an embrace that moved the entire delegation. “I just told him that I love him,” he says with a simplicity that charmed protocol officials. Leo XIV’s eyes shone at this “disarmed and disarming” joy which made these members of the delegation not only ambassadors of the right to life, but also witnesses to the right to the joy of living.
