The Roman Catholic Church formally changed its
teaching to declare the death penalty inadmissible in all
circumstances, reported Reuters.
The 1.2 billion-member Catholic Church has allowed
the death penalty in extreme cases for centuries, but the position began to
change under the late Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005.
The Vatican said it had changed its universal
catechism, a summary of Church teaching, to reflect Pope Francis' total
opposition to capital punishment.
According to the new entry in the catechism,
"the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the
inviolability and dignity of the person," it said, citing an address by
Pope Francis.
The new provision is expected to run into stiff
opposition from Catholics in countries such as the United States, where many
Catholics support the death penalty.
The change was enacted by the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, which is the body responsible for promulgating and
defending Catholic doctrine.
To read more CLICK HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment