The Holy Father Pope Francis, in his Discourse on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of the apostolic constitution Fidei Depositum, by which John Paul II promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church, asked that the teaching on the death penalty be reformulated so as to better reflect the development of the doctrine on this point that has taken place … 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, arranging for it to be translated into various …

Far from being guilty of breaking this commandment [Thy shall not kill], … New revision of number 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the death penalty – Rescriptum “ex Audentia SS.mi”.

In a rescript, or decree, the Pope has replaced the previous version of n. 2267 of the Catechism to read: The death penalty “2267. Pope Francis has approved a new revision of paragraph number 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, according to which “a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state,” thus “the death penalty is inadmissible”: The decision was announced by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in a ‘Letter to the Bishops’ dated 1 August and signed by the … None of these have been more substantial than the way it handles the subject of capital punishment. The Catechism teaches, “in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.’” 2 While the death penalty “was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes,” its use is …

Consequently, it has been revised on a number of points. Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator.

The Supreme Pontiff Francis, in the audience granted on 11 May 2018 to the undersigned Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has approved the following new draft of no.

Catechism of the Council of Trent The power of life and death is permitted to certain civil magistrates because theirs is the responsibility under law to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Changes to the Catechism on the Death Penalty Although many teachings that the Catechism of the Catholic Church contains are infallible, the Catechism is not infallible as a whole.