Pope Leo slams death penalty as US considers new execution methods

Pope Leo on Friday renewed his condemnation of capital punishment for a second consecutive day, calling for its abolition in the United States as Donald Trump’s administration moved to broaden the methods available for executing federal inmates.

In a message sent to DePaul University to mark the 15th anniversary of Illinois abolishing the death penalty, cited by Reuters, the pope emphasised the Catholic Church’s teaching that every human life is sacred from the moment of conception.

"The right to life is the very foundation of every other human right," the pope said. "For this reason, only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life will it flourish and prosper."

He added that effective prison systems are capable of protecting society while preserving the possibility of redemption for individuals convicted of serious crimes.

Leo’s remarks came a day after he was asked about reports of waves of executions in Iran. "I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the taking of people's lives. I condemn capital punishment," he said.

Earlier on Friday, the US Department of Justice announced that the government should expand the methods available for carrying out federal executions, citing ongoing difficulties in securing drugs used for lethal injections. In a report, the department said execution protocols should be revised to include methods such as firing squads, electrocution, and gas asphyxiation, alongside lethal injection.

The move follows Trump’s pledge to resume capital punishment at the federal level. His predecessor, Joe Biden, had commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, leaving three still facing execution.

Pope Leo, the first pontiff from the United States, has repeatedly criticised the Trump administration over the past year, including its crackdown on migrants and its stance on the US-Israeli war on Iran. Trump, in turn, has described the pope as "terrible."

By Tamilla Hasanova