Pope Francis has changed the official stance of the Catholic Church to oppose the death penalty under all circumstances.
The Vatican said Thursday that its policy on capital punishment has been revised to reflect the changing times.
The Catholic Church's official doctrine had previously deemed the death penalty permissible in cases where human lives had to be defended against an "unjust aggressor."
With the change,... the Vatican regards the death penalty unacceptable in all cases as it attacks a person's inherent dignity,... and the Church now endorses the abolition of the practice around the world.