States that retain the death penalty should consider a moratorium on executions without delay as a step toward its abolition, said Archbishop Christophe Z. El-Kassis, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations. In his address to the 81st session of the General Assembly, devoted to the promotion and protection of human rights, he linked this appeal to commuting existing sentences, ensuring fair trials, and investing in rehabilitative and reparative approaches. KTA reported on his remarks on October 8, 2026, citing Vatican News.
A person’s dignity does not end because of a crime
The starting point of the archbishop’s address was the consistent and universal protection of life: he stressed that it must extend to every person, at every stage of life and in all circumstances. He recalled that the death penalty is inadmissible because it constitutes an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the human person. The dignity given by God, he emphasized, never ceases, regardless of the gravity of the crime committed.
El-Kassis also pointed to the progress made in penal systems. In his words, states today can protect society effectively without ruling out the possibility of offenders’ repentance and redemption. In his address, he therefore linked the protection of society with preserving the possibility that a person can change, rather than with a punishment that removes that possibility once and for all.
Speaking about the consequences of the death penalty, the archbishop also warned that its implementation is irreversible in the event of a judicial error. He also stressed that victims and their families have a right to solidarity and support, and to justice that is timely, impartial, and humane. But taking the life of another human being, he said, cannot restore what has been lost.
According to his address, the purpose of punishment is not revenge. It should serve to restore social bonds, protect the common good, and reintegrate offenders into society. Alongside the demand for justice for victims, the archbishop thus emphasized the need for a penal system oriented toward rehabilitation, without relinquishing its responsibility to protect the community.
A moratorium without delay
The Holy See’s Permanent Observer renewed his appeal for the abolition of the death penalty. Despite the efforts already made in that direction, he warned, executions continue to be carried out in too many places. He proposed a moratorium to states that retain the penalty as a step toward its abolition, together with the commutation of existing sentences and guarantees of fair trials. His appeal also included investment in rehabilitative and reparative approaches.
Combating drug trafficking and reintegrating offenders
In a second address, El-Kassis spoke about crime prevention, criminal justice, and international control of drug trafficking. He called for renewed resolve in the face of the expansion of the drug market and the links between drug trafficking, corruption, and criminal activity around the world. He identified reducing the production and trafficking of narcotic drugs as the aim of such efforts.
In this context, too, he emphasized the importance of offenders’ re-education and full integration into society. True justice, he said, cannot be satisfied with punishment alone. Alongside determination to combat the production and trafficking of drugs, his address thus also addressed the need for offenders to return to the community.
In a third address, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN spoke about the rights of Indigenous peoples. He emphasized that their communities are not objects of development policies, but subjects and protagonists of their own destiny.
