Trump's administration has revealed plans for firing squad executions(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Pope Leo appears to have hit out atDonald Trumponce again as the president's administration revealed plans to expand the federal death penalty in the US - including the use of firing squads.
TheUSDepartment of Justice announced the plans earlier today, setting out the legal argument for various methods of execution.
“Today, the Department of Justice acted to restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences – clearing the way for the Department to carry out executions once death-sentenced inmates have exhausted their appeals,” it said.
The DoJ said it plans on “readopting the lethal injection protocol utilized during the firstTrumpAdministration”, which “relies on pentobarbital as the lethal agent”, as well as “expanding the protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad”.
ThePopetook to X this evening and appeared to hit back at the plans. He said the Catholic Church teaches "that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves to be protected".
He went on: "I offer my support to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around theworld.
"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."
Pope Leo said the Catholic Church teaches "that each human life... is sacred and deserves to be protected"(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The DoJ also said that it was “streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases” and had “rescinded” the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions, authorising “seeking death sentences against 44 defendants”.
Source: Drudge Report
