Pope Francis's outspoken opposition to the death penalty

In a letter addressed to the World Congress Against the Death Penalty, the leader of the world's Catholics took a clear stance against the punishment, saying that execution is not an acceptable punishment under any circumstances.

Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, wrote in a letter to the World Congress Against the Death Penalty that the death penalty is no longer acceptable in any way, even for the most serious crimes. The congress opened in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday (June 21). The pope stressed in the letter that taking away a person's right to life is contrary to God's will and justice. He added that the death penalty does not bring justice to victims, but rather "arouses a sense of revenge."

The leader of the world's Catholics invoked God's commandments; he said the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" is absolute for both the innocent and the guilty. He said human life and its dignity are inviolable, and this also applies to criminals.

He also called for improving the conditions of prisoners around the world, saying that the purpose of imprisonment is to help criminals improve, and that punishment that leaves no hope is not punishment, but a form of torture.

This year's Three Days Against the Death Penalty Congress, which is taking place at the Oslo Opera House, takes place every three years. Strasbourg hosted the Congress in 2001, Montreal in 2004, Paris in 2007, Geneva in 2010 and Madrid in 2013.
According to statistics, in 2015 alone, 1,634 people were executed in 25 countries around the world. 89 percent of these executions took place in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

Source: DW