Pope Leo sent a video message to an anniversary event at the Chicago-based DePaul University commemorating the 15th anniversary of his home state's abolition of the death penalty. The message notes that "effective systems of detention can be and have been developed that protect citizens," which is a fact at the heart of the Church's development in its teaching on the death penalty.
The same day the Pope's video message was aired (April 24), US President Donald Trump signed an executive order, reintroducing the firing squad and lethal injection for executions. This was his second executive order on the death penalty. On his first day back in office, he signed one to renew capital punishment in federal prisons.
Some 150 countries have abolished the death penalty; in the United States, it depends on the individual states, with some states such as Illinois having abolished it, and other states such as Texas still using it.
The Pope's message to his home state reiterated Church teaching, citing the Catechism.
This is why Pope Francis and my recent predecessors repeatedly insisted that the common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment. Consequently, the Church teaches that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” (ibid.).
"Life is not defined solely by one’s mistakes"
Just two days before, Pope Leo visited prisoners in Equatorial Guinea, a land that has faced criticism about how inmates are treated and the conditions of prisons.
"God never grows tired of forgiving," the Pope told the prisoners. "He always opens a new door for those who recognize their mistakes and desire to change. Do not let the past rob you of hope for the future. Every day can be a new beginning."
He also noted that society has to work with the prison system, and should always promote human dignity.
The administration of justice aims to protect society. To be effective, however, it must always promote the dignity and potential of every person. True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders, and communities wounded by evil. There is no justice without reconciliation. This is an immense undertaking. Part of it can happen within prisons, but the greater part must involve the entire national community, in order to prevent and heal the wounds caused by injustice.
Illinois was the 16th state to abolish the death penalty. Now in the USA, 26 states and DC have outlawed it.
Here is the full text of Pope Leo's video message to Illinois, with the video below.
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Dear friends,
I am pleased to greet all of you who are gathered at DePaul University to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the decision to abolish the death penalty in the State of Illinois.
The Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves to be protected. Indeed, the right to life is the very foundation of every other human right. For this reason, only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life will it flourish and prosper (cf. Address to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, 9 January 2026).
In this regard, we affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed. Furthermore, effective systems of detention can be and have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2267). This is why Pope Francis and my recent predecessors repeatedly insisted that the common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment. Consequently, the Church teaches that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” (ibid.).
I therefore join you in celebrating the decision made by the Governor of Illinois in 2011, and I likewise offer my support to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world. I pray that your efforts will lead to a greater acknowledgement of the dignity of every person, and will inspire others to work for the same just cause.
With these sentiments, I cordially invoke upon all of you the divine blessings of wisdom, joy and peace.
Thank you.