I’ve considered myself a Christian since age eight, when I professed faith in Jesus at the Baptist church where I grew up. But when I entered OCIA in 2017, I still had much to learn.

One thing in particular puzzled me: How did Catholic Church teaching on the sanctity and dignity of human life from conception to natural death square with its recognition of the death penalty?

Turns out, the Church had been grappling with the same question.

Historical Background

The Babylonian Hammurabi Code, enacted in the 18th century BC, was the first legal codification of capital punishment. Based on the concept of “an eye for an eye,” punishment matched the gravity of the crime. This notion of reciprocal justice has been used by most societies throughout history and was echoed in the Old Testament.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that retaliation had been a wrongful interpretation of this law. He did not annul the need for justice, but urged turning the other cheek and called for forgiveness and mercy. The early Church, including Church Fathers like Tertullian and Origen, opposed the death penalty.

But the tide changed in the fifth century, when Pope Innocent I defended its use as a God-given power to punish crime. This became the prevailing view, with Church Doctors like Augustine and Aquinas finding no inconsistency with the Fifth Commandment. In the 16th century, the Council of Trent explained that the death penalty constituted a lawful means of preserving life and protecting the innocent. In essence, it balanced the goals of punishment and public safety.

 The 20th century, however, brought increasing opposition from within the Church. Although the 1992 and 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church preserved the death penalty, they made clear that it could only be exercised by legitimate public authorities after employment of due process. The 1992 Catechism restricted it to cases of extreme gravity, with a strong preference for other means where sufficient to defend lives and protect public safety. The language of the 1997 Catechism went further still, only allowing its use where it was the “only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.” In his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), Pope John Paul II wrote that appropriate cases of capital punishment were “very rare, if not practically nonexistent.” In 1999, he advocated for its total elimination, calling it “cruel and unnecessary.”

Still, for 20 years the door remained open a crack. Between 1997 and 2017, 1,215 people were executed in the US. Worldwide executions totaled tens of thousands.

Pope Francis Closes the Door

During an October 2017 address on the 25th anniversary of the Catechism, Pope Francis called the death penalty inhumane and deemed it unacceptable under any circumstances. In May 2018, section 2267 of the Catechism was changed.

“It is per se contrary to the Gospel,” he explained, “because it entails the willful suppression of a human life that never ceases to be sacred in the eyes of its Creator and of which – ultimately – only God is the true judge and guarantor.”

Use of the Latin phrase per se was an interesting and concise choice, leaving no doubt whatsoever that the death penalty contravened Christ’s teachings. As Pope Francis said, “God is a Father who always awaits the return of his children.”

Some Catholics initially interpreted this pronouncement as a rupture with tradition. My heart leapt when I heard the news. For me, removing the option of the death penalty seemed more in line with Church teachings on abortion, suicide, and euthanasia. Would Christ consider anyone beyond hope or the possibility of redemption? And yet I was also confused: Why had the Church ever agreed that the state could cut short a person’s life?

So, What Changed?

Admittedly, changes in the Church are not always readily understood. Years after converting, I still remind myself to pray, to study Scripture and Catholic teaching, and to turn to my trusted Catholic friends for help, instead of immediately venting my feelings on social media.

As we grow as Catholic Christians, our faith expands and we are called to greater depths of conversion and understanding. I’ve experienced that over and over. The Church, too, is a living, breathing organism: stable, but not stagnant; flexible, yet grounded; and equipped to lead until Christ returns. As it has always taught that human life is sacred, the Church’s revised position on capital punishment did not constitute a change in dogma, which is infallible and unchanging.

But sometimes the dignity of other human lives are threatened, and balances must be struck. For example, the Catechism allows for self-defense and just war. In a letter to the bishops, Pope Francis reminded them that Church doctrine can develop over time, resulting in a clearer awareness of Christ’s teachings through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26, Jesus said, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name – he will teach you everything.”

By 2017, a change in conditions had also eliminated the need for the death penalty. The passage of time had brought more efficacious systems of incarceration. Meanwhile, the justice system had become lopsided, serving justice and law but ignoring mercy. A 2014 survey found that 4% of people executed in the US had been innocent. Research also found that capital punishment disproportionately impacted the poor, people of color, and the disabled. Other studies showed that the death penalty did not bring the promised healing and closure to families of victims; instead, it often prolonged trauma.

The Call to Eradicate the Death Penalty

Approximately 150 countries have abolished or otherwise paused the death penalty. About 55 retain it, including the US. In 2024, there were roughly 1,500 executions worldwide, excluding China, where estimates are in the thousands. Pope Francis’s revision to the Catechism added an important call to action for abolishing capital punishment worldwide.

That work, of course, requires education and a change of hearts. The issue is unquestionably an emotionally charged one. What if Hitler were alive today, sitting in a prison cell awaiting execution? Perhaps that’s too provocative an example. What about the man convicted of the hate crime in which nine people were killed during a Bible study in Charleston? It’s easier to pray for victims. But certain family members of those killed that day returned a message of forgiveness, calling for the perpetrator’s repentance. I’m still a work in progress, just imagining myself capable of that level of mercy and grace.

Capital punishment has existed in the US since the inception of the colonies. To date, Americans have executed over 16,000 men and women. In 1972, the US Supreme Court held that Georgia’s statute, which had given juries unfettered sentencing discretion, was unconstitutional. But Georgia and states with similar laws quickly revised their statutes and reinstated the death penalty. Today, 23 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed capital punishment; laws remain in 27 states. Except for the brief pause in 1972, Georgia’s laws have been in force since 1735, during which time Georgia has executed over 1,000 people.

In December 2025, Georgia’s Catholic bishops publicly opposed the latest scheduled execution in Georgia. They observed that the offender had expressed deep remorse, and they called for an investigation into possible trial irregularities, along with prayer for the victims. As of April 2026, the execution remains on hold.

Learn more about what Catholics are doing to end the death penalty and how you can help at Catholic Mobilizing Network: catholicsmobilizing.org.