Pope Francis has changed the Catholic Church’s teaching on the death penalty, saying it should never be allowed because it “attacks” human dignity. The church has consistently taught that the state has the authority to use the death penalty in rare circumstances and only when the guilty party’s identity has been fully determined. But the Vatican said Thursday it had changed its universal catechism to reflect Francis’ total opposition to the death penalty. The pontiff has spoken previously about his stance, saying in October 2017 that the death penalty is “contrary to the gospel.”
