The first American pontiff called the death penalty an attack on human dignity, noting modern prisons allow justice and redemption.
The message timed with preparations for the December 3 firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin labeled the planned broadcast unacceptable, while online discussions highlight the Church’s past executions and weigh mercy against deterrence for terrorism.
