On Sunday, the Pope made a statement about capital punishment during his address to Catholics gathered in St. Peter’s square in the Vatican. The Pope called for world leaders to work together on an international agreement to end the death penalty.

In his speech, Pope Francis said the Christian commandment “Thou shalt not kill' was equally valid for the innocent and the guilty.

He particularly asked Catholic politicians to set an example by seeking a temporary ban on executions this year. The Pope, who recently visited prisons on his trip to Mexico, also called for better prison conditions and rehabilitation efforts.

"All Christians and people of good will are called today to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty, but also in order to improve prison conditions, in respect for human dignity of persons deprived of liberty," the Pope said.

Supporters of the death penalty have often used religion as justification for killing so called “sinners.” A Gallup poll shows most Americans cite an “eye for an eye”, a saying which originates from the Bible’s Old Testament, as the reason they favor the death penalty.

While the Catholic Church has historically supported the death penalty for extreme cases, Pope Francis is following his predecessors Pope Benedict and and the late Pope John Paul in completely opposing the death penalty.

The Pope’s message comes a day before an international convention on the abolition of the death penalty taking place in Rome.

According to Amnesty International, 2,994 people were sentenced to death globally. This number has increased by a quarter since 2013.

There has been some progress in the movement to end the death penalty. As of 2015, 140 countries have abolished the death penalty and only 21 countries carried out the death penalty last year.

But amongst developed countries, the US ranks among the highest for the number of executions. Globally, the US comes in fifth after China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia for the highest number of executions.

While the death penalty is increasingly becoming an uncommon practice, the Pope’s stand against execution is a much needed message for the many countries that still legalize this extreme and inhumane punishment.

There are many reasons to end the death penalty. Execution is not a means for justice and doesn’t deter people from committing crimes. It also puts innocent lives at risk if people are wrongfully convicted. In the US, racial minorities and the poor are disproportionately targeted for the death penalty due to discrimination in the criminal justice system and countries like Iran and Sudan use the death penalty to silence political dissidents.

The Pope’s stance on capital punishment is something everyone should follow. For any country that stands for human rights and freedom, condoning execution is a step backwards in promoting social justice around the world.

Editorial

Demand Equity

Pope Francis urges the world to abolish the death penalty

By Megha Cherian