Pope Leo issues death penalty message amid Trump’s DoJ firing squad plan | World | News
Pope Leo offered a message of support to people campaigning in favour of the abolition of the death penalty in the US – as the Trump administration announced it was taking steps to “strengthen” it. In a striking same-day clash of values, Pope Leo XIV urged the world to reject capital punishment entirely, while the US Department of Justice revealed plans to expand how executions are carried out.
In a video message, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to capital punishment, describing it as “inadmissible” and an attack on human dignity. Addressing an event at DePaul University marking 15 years since Illinois abolished the death penalty, he said every human life must be protected “from conception until natural death”. He said the right to life is “the very foundation of every other human right”. He added that even those guilty of serious crimes do not lose their dignity, and argued that modern justice systems can protect the public without resorting to executions. On the same day, the US Department of Justice confirmed it is moving to expand the federal use of capital punishment under President Donald Trump.
Plans include reintroducing firing squads as a method of execution and reinstating lethal injection protocols used during Trump’s first term. Firing squads are already permitted in some US states under certain circumstances.
Prosecutors have been authorised to seek the death penalty against 44 defendants, with nine cases already approved.
Officials said the changes are designed to “strengthen the federal death penalty” and allow executions to resume once legal appeals have been exhausted. The department also said it is “streamlining internal processes” to speed up death penalty cases.
The developments highlight the ongoing and often sharply divided debate over capital punishment in the United States, with opposition from religious groups and campaigners continuing alongside efforts to expand its use.
The US Department of Justice said it had acted to “restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences”, clearing the way for executions to resume.
It also confirmed it is “expanding the protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad”, alongside the use of lethal injection drugs.
Figures suggest executions have risen in recent years, even as public support has fallen significantly over the past three decades.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, “the evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the American people”.
Campaigners argue the system risks irreversible miscarriages of justice, while supporters insist it remains a vital punishment for the most serious crimes.
With political leaders, religious figures and campaign groups deeply divided, the battle over the death penalty in America is intensifying.
