Pope Francis changes Catholic Church teaching on death penalty

Francis has declared capital punishment “inadmissible” in all cases, calling it "an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person," according to the Vatican.

Pope Francis has declared the death penalty inadmissible in all cases because it is “an attack” on the “dignity of the person,” the Vatican announced on Thursday, in a definitive shift in Roman Catholic teaching that could put enormous pressure on lawmakers and politicians around the world. Francis, who has spoken out against capital punishment before — including in 2015 in an address to Congress — added the change to the Catechism, the collection of beliefs for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. The revision says the church would work “with determination” for the abolition of capital punishment worldwide. “I think this will be a big deal for the future of the death penalty in the world,” said John Thavis, a Vatican expert and author. “People who work with prisoners on death row will be thrilled, and I think this will become a banner social justice issue for the church,” he added.