Pope: Human dignity is not lost even after serious crimes are committed

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

The Church affirms “that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed,” Pope Leo XIV said in a video message released on Friday, April 24, to those gathered at DePaul University in the United States to mark the 15th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in the State of Illinois.

He highlighted how he joined those present in celebrating this landmark decision made in 2011 and 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,” he emphasized.

Justice can be met without capital punishment

“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,” the Pope underlined.

“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 continued.

He also cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, underscoring that 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 reiterated the Church’s teaching on the importance of protecting life from conception until natural death.

“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,” he insisted.