Vatican City
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 23, 1999 · On January 23, addressing 10,000 Roman Catholics crammed...
- News items in the archive
- 84
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Vatican City is classified as Abolitionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 84 news items on Vatican City, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- JANUARY 1, 2009Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
- DECEMBER 2, 2008Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN NOT IN FAVOR OF DEATH PENALTY FOR GAYS
a proposed EU declaration which would condemn “discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity” was criticised by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, who heads the Holy See’s permanent observer mission to the United Nations.
DECEMBER 1, 2008Vatican CityDEATH PENALTYGAY: RADICALS- VATICAN OPPOSITION TO FRENCH REQUEST CONDONES THOSE WHO DISCRIMINATE
“The opposition of the Apostolic nuncio to the proposed statement is equivalent to condoning those who
- OCTOBER 31, 2008Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN URGES SOUTH KOREA TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
during a recent visit to South Korea, a high-ranking Vatican official asked the prime minister, a Catholic, to abolish the country's death penalty. "
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2008Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN OFFICIAL: DEATH PENALTY SUPPORT DENIES BASIC CHRISTIAN BELIEF
support for the death penalty is a denial of the basic Christian belief that God can turn any person from a life of sin, a Vatican official told a group of justice ministers, judges and lawmakers examining positions on capital punishment. Archbishop Agost
JANUARY 15, 2008Vatican CityDEATH PENALTYPOPE: RADICALS, BELATED INTERVENTION BY RATZINGER ON THE DEATH PENALTY AT LA SAPIENZA
Elisabetta Zamparutti, Treasurer of the Italian Radicals and of Hands Off
- JANUARY 1, 2008Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2007Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN SPOKESMAN BACKS UN DRIVE TO END DEATH PENALTY
the Vatican's official spokesman praised a UN initiative calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, calling it “a step in the direction of humanity and of respect for the person.”
FEBRUARY 3, 2007Vatican CityDEATH PENALTYVATICAN. POPE’S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD CONGRESS
The Third World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris concluded with a message from Pope
- JANUARY 2, 2007Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN DAILY DENOUNCES IMAGES OF SADDAM'S HANGING AS `SPECTACLE'
the Vatican's official newspaper decried media images of Saddam Hussein's hanging as a “spectacle” violating human rights and harming efforts to promote reconciliation in Iraq. The Vatican, which opposes the death penalty...
- JANUARY 1, 2007Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2006Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN CONDEMNS SADDAM SENTENCING
a senior Vatican official lamented the death penalty imposed on former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on November 5, suggesting it marked a vengeful "eye for an eye" mentality still gripping turmoil-torn Iraq.
- AUGUST 11, 2006Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA DELAYS CHRISTIAN MILITANT EXECUTIONS
Indonesia delayed until after August 17 the execution of three Christian militants convicted of killing Muslims, national police chief Sutanto told reporters. Fabianus Tibo, Marianus Riwu and Dominggus Silva were to face a firing squad just after midnight
- JULY 21, 2006Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN CITY. VATICAN OPPOSES DEATH PENALTY FOR HUSSEIN
the Vatican demanded that former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein not be sentenced to death
- MARCH 25, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. POPE CALLS ON KARZAI TO SPARE AFGHAN CHRISTIAN CONVERT
Pope Benedict XVI asked Afghan President Hamid Karzai to pardon Abdul Rahman, an Afghan man facing execution for converting to Christianity.
- JANUARY 1, 2006Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
- DECEMBER 13, 2005Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN CITY. VATICAN DEPLORES EXECUTION OF US GANG LEADER
the Vatican said there was no room for the death sentence in the modern world after the execution in a US jail of former Los Angeles gang leader Stanley Williams.
JUNE 28, 2005Vatican CityDEATH PENALTYNEW CATECHISM. D’ELIA SAYS CATHOLIC CHURCH’S JUSTICIALISM STILL IN EVIDENCE
on the Compendiun of New Catechism to be presented tomorrow, HOC General Secretary Sergio D’Elia declared: “We have never been fundamentalist about death penalty abolition – in fact we campaign for a UN moratorium on capital executions with a view to abo
- APRIL 19, 2005Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
VATICAN CITY. ANTI-DEATH PENALTY COURSE LIKELY TO PERSIST WITH NEW POPE
Catholic leaders and scholars said that they expected new Pope Benedict XVI to continue his predecessor's strong opposition to the death penalty.
- JANUARY 1, 2005Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
- OCTOBER 25, 2004Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Roman Catholic Church has published its long-awaited...
The Roman Catholic Church has published its long-awaited Compendium of the Social Doctrine
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2004Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
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- APRIL 19, 2004Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
Pope John Paul II said that terrorism could not be...
Pope John Paul II said that terrorism could not be combated with the death penalty but, on the contrary, by the promotion of respect for the dignity of the human person
- APRIL 8, 2004Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001.
- DECEMBER 16, 2003Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
Renato Cardinal Martino, head of the Pontifical Council...
Renato Cardinal Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said Saddam Hussein should face trial for his crimes but stressed the Vatican's opposition to the death penalty and criticized the US military for portraying him ``like a cow''
- APRIL 26, 2003Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Pope expressed to Fidel Castro his "deep pain"...
The Pope expressed to Fidel Castro his "deep pain" and "deep sorrow" for the execution of the three hijackers of a Cuban ferry
- JANUARY 1, 2003Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from...
The Vatican formally abolished the death penalty from its constitution in 2001
- JANUARY 1, 2003Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
Vatican use of the death penalty persisted into the...
Vatican use of the death penalty persisted into the 19th century, with hangings under Pope Pius IX, but no execution was carried out since the establishment of the modern state in 1929
- JANUARY 1, 2003Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
The revised Vatican constitution that took effect on...
The revised Vatican constitution that took effect on February 22, 2001 removed the death penalty from the text of the Fundamental Law, equivalent to a constitution, which dates back to the 1929 creation of the modern Vatican city-state
- JULY 26, 2002Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
A Vatican representative delivered a papal letter to...
A Vatican representative delivered a papal letter to Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo asking him to declare a moratorium on the death penalty for the rest of his presidency