Pope Leo XIV rejects death penalty as attack on dignity of human person

Pope Leo XIV has posted on his official X account that the Catholic Church holds the death penalty to be “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”

In a post published on Saturday, on the World Day Against the Death Penalty, the Pope noted that justice can be upheld and the common good of humanity can be safeguarded without relying on capital punishment.

He said criminals can be effectively detained in order to protect citizens, while still allowing those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.

“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. #NoDeathPenalty,” wrote Pope Leo.