Pope says death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as US plans to livestream execution
Pope Leo XIV has publicly condemned the death penalty as inadmissible, coinciding with the US government's controversial plan to livestream an upcoming execution by firing squad. The Vatican's stance reinforces the Catholic Church's opposition to capital punishment, even as US officials proceed with high-profile executions.
Why it matters
This highlights a growing ideological clash between religious moral authority and state-sanctioned punitive measures in the United States.
Pope Leo XIV describes capital punishment as an ‘attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person’ in post on X.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Pope Leo XIV attends a weekly general audience at St Peter's basilica in The Vatican [File: AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and AP Published On 10 Oct 2026 10 Oct 2026 Pope Leo XIV has declared that the death penalty is “inadmissible” while his home country, the United States, announces plans to livestream an execution by firing squad.
Marking World Day Against the Death Penalty on Saturday, the pope reiterated the Catholic Church’s teaching on capital punishment, writing on X that it was “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”.
“The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment,” his post said.
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Finding alternatives to the death penalty
Pope Leo declares death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as his native U.S. plans to livestream execution
Pope Leo declares death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as his native US plans to livestream execution
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