On Friday, Pope Leo IV released a powerful video reaffirming the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty, stating, “The right to life is the very foundation of every other human right….only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life will it flourish and prosper.”
The Pope released the message as a tribute to an event at DePaul University marking the 15th anniversary of Illinois’ abolition of the death penalty.
“We affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed,” the Pope noted. “Furthermore, effective systems of detention can be and have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.”
Pope Leo’s message of hope, humanity, and redemption stood in stark contrast to the message the Justice Department sent the same day. The press release stated that “under the leadership of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche,” the DOJ is currently seeking death sentences against 44 defendants, restoring the lethal drug pentobarbital to its execution protocol, and adding the firing squad to its execution methods.
And, while DOJ announced that it ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons to “examine relocating or expanding federal death row or constructing an additional execution facility to permit additional manners of execution,” the Pope pointed out that “The common good can be safeguarded, and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment.”
Pope Leo concluded his message by offering his “support to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world. I pray that your efforts will lead to a greater acknowledgement of the dignity of every person, and will inspire others to work for the same just cause.”