Pope Francis has changed Catholic Church teaching to fully reject the death penalty, the Vatican announced Thursday, saying it would work to abolish capital punishment worldwide. “The death penalty in the United States probably will not come to an end through an act of Congress or a Supreme Court decision. The attitudes of Catholics mirror those of the nation, with 53 percent favoring the death penalty. “We’re not at the point where the church will deny communion to somebody who votes to uphold the death penalty,” said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, a clearinghouse for data on the issue. Others noted that the Catholic Church has long played a role advocating against the death penalty.

Source: Washington Post August 02, 2018 11:42 UTC