The Vatican called on the UN to completely abolish the death penalty worldwide

Archbishop Christophe El-Kassis, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, has officially called on the international community to completely abolish the death penalty. It is reported that the Holy See insists on the introduction of an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in all countries.

In his address at the UN meeting, the archbishop emphasized that the death penalty is unacceptable because it violates the fundamental dignity of the human person, which remains unchanged regardless of the severity of the crime committed. The Vatican representative stated that modern legal and correctional systems possess all the necessary means to protect society from offenders without taking their lives.

“The purpose of punishment is not revenge, but the restoration of social justice and the rehabilitation of the offender,” El-Kassis noted. In addition, the diplomat drew attention to the serious danger of miscarriages of justice, which can lead to the irreparable loss of innocent lives. The Vatican calls on states that still practice the death penalty to replace death sentences with imprisonment and to guarantee the right to a fair trial for all defendants.