Veteran Vatican observers in Rome, like Francis X. Rocca, formerly of The Wall Street Journal, point out that Belgium was the second country to legalize euthanasia, after the neighboring Netherlands, in 2002.

The move was described as a “precaution” in the statement from the Vatican days before he is to embark on a trip to Belgium and Luxembourg.

Pope Francis will press ahead with plans to travel to Luxembourg and Belgium later this week, despite cancelling his meetings for Monday due to a mild flu, the Vatican said. The tour, his 46th foreign visit as pope,