Pope Leo XIV condemned the death penalty as „inadmissible“ as the Pentagon faces criticism over plans to livestream an execution later this year.
Leo, the first American pope, shared his opposition to capital punishment Saturday in a social media post marking World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Citing Catholic doctrine revised under his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo emphasized that the death penalty violates human dignity.
„The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person. The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption,“ Leo wrote on X.
„#NoDeathPenalty,“ he added in the post.
VETERAN SHOT 7 TIMES IN FORT HOOD MASSACRE HAS A WARNING FOR AMERICANS PLANNING TO WATCH EXECUTION
In 2018, Francis revised the Catholic Church’s official position on capital punishment, declaring the death penalty „inadmissible“ in all circumstances.
„Consequently the church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,“ the revised Catechism states.
Before the change, Catholic teaching permitted the death penalty in cases where it was deemed the only effective means of protecting human life from a dangerous offender.
Earlier popes had maintained that exception, though Pope John Paul II increasingly advocated ending capital punishment, stressing that those convicted of crimes retain their human dignity.
Although Leo did not specifically mention the U.S. government’s plans in his statement, his post comes after the Pentagon announced on Thursday that it had scheduled a firing squad execution for a man convicted of a mass shooting at a military base.
Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in a 2009 shooting at the Fort Hood military base. He is set to be executed at Fort Hood on Dec. 3, which would make him the first person to be executed by firing squad by the U.S. military since 1945.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had not yet decided whether to allow the livestream plan, pushed by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, to move forward.
Vice President JD Vance, who is a Catholic, expressed skepticism about whether the Pentagon would proceed with a public execution. He said he would not watch the livestream if it were carried out.
Several lawmakers, including Republicans, have spoken out against plans to broadcast the execution.
CHRISTA PIKE DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL, RETURNED TO PRISON AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION, ATTORNEYS SAY
„Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do,“ Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said on Thursday. „It should not be happening in America.“
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, criticized the proposed broadcast, calling it „truly incomprehensible“ and warning that it was „unacceptable to turn death into a spectacle.“
„The Church’s position is one of total opposition to the death penalty; it is incompatible with human dignity and serves as no deterrent,“ Parolin told reporters on Friday. „It is truly incomprehensible that anyone would want to use this system today — I don’t know for what purpose. It is certainly unacceptable to turn death into a spectacle; even if the person is guilty, of course, there are other methods.“
He added that the death penalty „is incompatible with human dignity and does not serve as a deterrent.“
The head of the U.S. bishops conference, Archbishop Paul Coakley, expressed „shock“ and „great sorrow“ about the public execution plan and urged the U.S. to reconsider.
„In no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered,“ he said in a statement on Friday. „The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people.“
Leo’s statement also did not mention the botched lethal injection of Christa Gail Pike in Tennessee. Pike survived the attempted execution despite two doses of pentobarbital being administered late last month.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-10-12 04:14:59
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
