Earlier this month, Pope Francis declared that the death penalty is never admissible and always unacceptable, pledging that the Catholic Church will work for its abolition world wide.
This declaration is a step along a path that has been paved by previous Popes, stretching back to the 1960’s, when Pope Paul VI removed the death penalty from fundamental Church law in 1969.
Pope John Paul II took a significant leap forward from there, revising the catechism to say that the death penalty is unacceptable when other “non-lethal” ways are available to keep people safe. Further clarity came when Pope John Paul II specifically called for abolition of the death penalty in the United States, calling it “cruel and unnecessary.”
Pope Benedict XVI continued the trend when he called on world leaders to “make every effort to eliminate the death penalty” in 2011. In 2015, Pope Francis called for global abolition of the death penalty, as well, linking the issue to broader criminal justice reforms.
Following Pope John Paul II’s initial call, death sentences and executions have both dramatically decreased. Seven states have also repealed the death penalty in that time.
Just as Catholic politicians responded positively to previous statements against the death penalty, Pope Francis’ declaration may bolster pushes for repeal in places like Washington and New Hampshire, where the state legislature could still override Governor Sununu’s recent veto for repeal legislation. It could even influence the Supreme Court.
By recognizing that “the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes,” Pope Francis has provided what our partners at Catholic Mobilizing Network called “a capstone teaching moment for the Catholic Church.” We join with CMN and our other partners in the anti-death penalty movement in marking this revision by renewing our work to end the death penalty and to, as EJUSA’s mission states, “elevate healing and safety over retribution, meet the needs of survivors, and advance racial equity.’
Photo credit: “2014 Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to Korea” by Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han). CC BY 2.0via Wikimedia Commons
