Pope Leo urges worldwide abolition of death penalty

The pope’s video message, marking the 2011 Illinois abolition of the penalty, came shortly after the US mentioned potential firing squads

Pope Leo has called for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty on Saturday, a day after the US administration mulled expanding the penalty.

“The dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed,” Leo said in a video message marking the 15th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in his home state of 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,” said Leo, who succeeded Francis last year to become the first pontiff from the United States.

“Indeed, the right to life is the very foundation of every other human right,” he argued. “For this reason, only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life will it flourish and prosper.”

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Leo further offered his support “to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world”.

The death penalty is permitted in more than two dozen of the 50 US states, although in several states it is no longer carried out in practice.