Pope Francis Calls for Ending the Death Penalty

Pope Francis called for a worldwide abolition of the death penalty, referencing the commandment, "You shall not kill."

The pope said that this commandment is absolute and does not change according to a guilty or innocent verdict.

"I appeal to the consciences of those who govern to reach an international consensus to abolish the death penalty," he told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. "And I propose, to whom are Catholics, to make a courageous and exemplary gesture: no convicted inmate should be executed during the church's Holy Year of Mercy."

"Even criminals hold the inviolable right to life, a gift from God," he said.

The Catholic Church has allowed for the death penalty in extreme cases in centuries past, but under Pope John Paul II that position began to change.

Pope Francis also said in these modern times we have the means to  "efficiently repress crime without definitively denying the person who committed it the possibility of rehabilitating themselves."

"All Christians and men of good will are called on to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty, but also to improve prison conditions so that they respect the human dignity of people who have been deprived of their freedom," he said.

The pope insists he doesn't interfere in the political sphere, but he has also made clear people must follow what he calls a "well-informed" conscience.

He also encourages local bishops to give guidance to Catholics, including voters, on political issues.