Pope Leo called for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty on the same day the Trump administration announced plans to reintroduce firing squads as a method of federal execution. The Justice Department issued the directive to prison authorities on Friday, reinstating a practice the U.S. government hasn't used in hundreds of years.
“Execution by firing squad has a long history in the United States,” the DOJ report reads. “Its first use took place in 1608 in the Virginia Jamestown colony. More than 250 years later, in 1878, the Supreme Court held in a unanimous opinion that the firing squad does not offend the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments.”
The timing coincided with the Pope's appearance at a DePaul University event in Chicago, held to mark fifteen years since Illinois eliminated capital punishment. And are we even surprised that Trump is reinstating firing squads? No, we are not. Cruelty is the point.
"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," the Pontiff wrote on Xitter. "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."
"I offer my support to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world," he added. "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."
And, of course, MAGA is mad on Xitter at the Pope as they try to justify the barbaric practice while desperately going through Bible verses to defend the death penalty. It's 2026, MAGA, not 1608. Try to find yourselves some dignity. Amen.
