VATICAN CITY, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Pope Francis condemned capital punishment and called for a worldwide ban on the death penalty in his Sunday address in St. Peter's Square.
The pope urged Christian leaders to work to stop executions as part of the church's Holy Year of Mercy, which started Dec. 8, and said Christian leaders should work to ensure no executions are carried out during the period, which ends Nov. 20. His message also came on the eve of an international conference for the abolishment of the death penalty in Rome.