Pope Leo: ‘The Church teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible’
April 25, 2026
Citing Pope Francis’s 2018 revision of a paragraph of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV said that “the Church teaches that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.’“
The Pontiff made his remarks in a video message to “A Beacon of Light in Darkness,” an April 24 event at DePaul University marking the fifteenth anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in Illinois.
“The Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves to be protected,” Pope Leo said. “Indeed, the right to life is the very foundation of every other human right. For this reason, only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life will it flourish and prosper.”
“In this regard, we affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed,” the Pope continued. “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 added:
This is why Pope Francis and my recent predecessors repeatedly insisted that the common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment. Consequently, the Church teaches that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”
The Pope also offered 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.”
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Further information:
- Video Message of the Holy Father to the Participants in the Commemorative Event marking the 15th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Death Penalty in the State of Illinois [DePaul University (Chicago)]
- Pope revises Catechism’s teaching on death penalty (CWN, 8/2/18)
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Posted by: grateful1 -
Apr. 28, 2026 6:07 PM ET USA
Imposition of the death penalty on a murderer whose crime was especially heinous (for example, if it involved a vulnerable victim, torture, etc.) arguably has his "dignity" respected as long as he is not executed in the same callous manner he employed on his victim. Those Popes who would ban the DP in all cases without addressing this issue shouldn't expect to be taken seriously.
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Posted by: Crusader -
Apr. 26, 2026 9:18 AM ET USA
“The Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves to be protected," There are so many misstatements from bishops and the pope on this issue. The fact is, as one online priest commentator stated, that the Church has consistently, for over 1900 years taught that the death penalty was not only admissible but also sometimes necessary. Much more could be said, but there are not enough characters left.
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Posted by: Crusader -
Apr. 25, 2026 10:39 AM ET USA
The CCC does say that the death penalty is inadmissible. That is a legal word, not a moral or theological word. Can anyone imagine the CCC calling theft, lying or fornication inadmissible and not immoral? The pope congratulates the state of Illinois on eliminating the death penalty. Maybe in the future he might address the fact that the last reported annual number of legal murders (abortions) in Illinois is 72,000.
