On November 3 Ambassador Renato Martino, speaking at...

On November 3 Ambassador Renato Martino, speaking at the Third Committee of the General Assembly (human rights) under item 116a (death penalty), said that the right to life is an inalienable right of every human person. Hence the European Union draft resolution under discussion should be understood as a strong affirmation of the dignity of the human person and the sacredness and inviolability of human life. The position of the Holy See is that authorities, even for the most serious crimes, should limit themselves to non-lethal means of punishment, as these means "are more in keeping with the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person."