Living in the United States, I assumed morally atrocious criminals all over the world would face the “death penalty” for their horrific crimes – no matter their country’s developed or developing status.
But my attention to the matter grew after Pope Leo XIV condemned the death penalty via posts on X in October, 2026. He has condemned the death penalty, following the condemnations of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
I discovered that most western and developed societies have outlawed the death penalty in almost all circumstances. The United States retains the death penalty in some, which our government has recently highlighted with the announcement of a publicly viewed death by a firing squad of a Muslim terrorist who murdered multiple people.
Of course, we expect the death penalty to be prevalent in the communistic, Islamist, and authoritarian societies within Asia, Africa, and the Arab states where human rights are severely, sadly, and expectedly limited. Simple crimes such as failing to wear a head scarf in Iran results in torture and death for women. Non-crimes such as being raped could result in torture and death for women in many countries under Sharia law, where women’s testimonies are worthless and the rapes rendered them unclean. Women have a horrific existence in societies governed by Sharia law. Their governments do not educate, trust, or protect them. They are the property of their husbands with whom they may have been married at very young ages. It is not uncommon to find 9-year-olds in arranged marriages in those societies with men well into their forties, fifties, or sixties. Such arrangements are consistent with the marriage between their prophet Muhammad and Aisha in the 7th century.
The death penalty is permitted under certain circumstances in the United States. To some in the European Union, the U.S. may be considered barbaric for permitting this law. If one is a Christian – or even a Catholic Christian where we adhere to the Pope – we should not advocate the death penalty. We should advocate for all humans to live out their God-given lives with God’s determination of time to repent of our sins.
For this reason, I find we have a paradox in our society. Why is it that the same countries that are against the death penalty for the most egregious humans are also for the right to kill their most innocent humans, the babies in our wombs? In other words, why are those who are willing to advocate for the rights of horrific murderers and rapists the same people who refuse to advocate for the rights of the preborn innocent babies among us? It makes no sense.
Malta and Poland are two countries where induced abortions are generally outlawed, with a few exceptions. The rest of the European Union permits abortions. The United States, with its strong support for the death penalty sits strangely in a place where its states differ dramatically on abortion rights. Some states resemble China and North Korea, permitting abortions liberally – even death after botched abortions! Other states outlaw abortions under most circumstances.
Here is my call to action: let us ALL advocate for human rights – the right to life. Let God determine where and when we begin and end our lives. Let us not attempt to interrupt His plans.
May God bless you.
SJ Thomason is a Catholic revert, university administrator in business, and wife and mother in a Christian family.