The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has affirmed that the dignity of every human person must be protected at all stages of life, from conception to death.
He made the assertion in a video message obtained by Advocatus Africa, the Pontiff sent to participants gathered at DePaul University in Chicago for the 15th anniversary of Illinois’s abolition of the death penalty.
“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. Indeed, the right to life is the very foundation of every other human right for this reason,” Pope Leo said.
His message is in accordance with the extant laws of the Church (CCC 2267), which states that: “The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”
The Bishop of Rome insisted that “Only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life, will it flourish and prosper,” emphasising, “we affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after various serious crimes are committed.”
In light of the dignity of the human person, the Holy Father also touched on the protection of citizens in detention.
Credit: www.halt.org.
“Effective systems of detention can be and have been developed to protect citizens, while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.
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,” he maintained.
His message was woven in the light of the Gospel and in determination for the abolition of capital punishment worldwide.
The Pope, who holds a doctorate in Canon Law, upheld that “the Church teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” and underscored, “I likewise offer my support to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world.”
Editor’s Note: Featured photo is courtesy of www.pbs.org.
