Pope Francis has recalled that the Jubilee Year, which the Catholic Church is currently celebrating, is a favourable time to forgive debts and to commute the sentences of prisoners, stressing that “there is no debt that allows anyone, including the State, to demand the life of another.” Indeed, every human life has intrinsic value and an inviolable dignity.
Statement of H.E. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher,
Secretary for the Holy See's Relations with States and International Organizations,
at the Biennial High-Level Panel Discussion on the Question of the Death Penalty, during the 58th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council
Geneva, 25th February 2025
Theme: Contribution of the judiciary to the advancement of human rights and the question of the death penalty
Mr. President,
The Holy See holds that the death penalty is “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,”[1] a principled position held by many in this room today.
Therefore, the Holy See advocates for the universal abolition of death penalty, as it “finds no justification today among the instruments capable of protecting citizens and restoring justice. It is a provision that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation”[2].
Pope Francis has recalled that the Jubilee Year, which the Catholic Church is currently celebrating, is a favourable time to forgive debts and to commute the sentences of prisoners, stressing that “there is no debt that allows anyone, including the State, to demand the life of another.”[3] Indeed, every human life has intrinsic value and an inviolable dignity.
The Holy See, while recognizing the sovereign right of all States to define their legal systems, sees no justification in resorting to means that are unnecessary and obstructive to the full respect of human dignity. A firm rejection of the death penalty safeguards the judicial against irreversible errors.
Thank you, Mr. President.