In a post on X under his official handle @Pontifex, the American pope quoted the revised Catholic teaching ushered in by Pope Francis that the death penalty attacks the inherent dignity of a human being. “The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment,” the post read. “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.” The post ended with the hashtag #NoDeathPenalty.
According to Vatican sources, the lung lesion was detected early and doctors recommended surgery as a precautionary measure. The Holy See assures the faithful that Pope Leo XIV is in stable condition and receiving the best care in Rome.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is championing the plan, but it has drawn bipartisan backlash. President Donald Trump said Saturday he would ultimately decide whether the execution would be livestreamed. Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, expressed skepticism about the livestream and said he would not watch it.
Pope Leo did not refer specifically to the planned execution, but his post came just hours after his top deputy, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said explicitly that the planned U.S. public execution was “unacceptable”. It was Pope Francis in 2018 who amended the Catechism to declare capital punishment inadmissible in all circumstances. The planned broadcast has also been called “barbaric” by U.S. Catholic leaders and has revived debate after a botched lethal injection in Tennessee earlier this month.
Author: Stella Sunu • Published on Howedey.com
