Father Bernard Poggi decries Israel’s new death penalty law, urging respect for human dignity and mercy amid deepening regional conflict.
Newsroom (02/04/2026 Gaudium Press )Amid mounting uproar over the Israeli Knesset’s recent passage of a law permitting the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners, the Catholic Church in the Holy Land has emerged as a steadfast voice defending the sanctity of human life. Church leaders warn that the law threatens not only legal and political norms but also moral principles at the heart of Christian teaching.
Speaking to ACI MENA, Father Bernard Poggi, rector of the Latin Patriarchal Seminary in Beit Jala near Bethlehem, issued a call for justice rooted in mercy rather than vengeance. “Human life is a divine gift that must never be violated,” Poggi said. “Any measure seeking to impose death contradicts the Gospel and Christian ethics.”
Rooted in the Image of God
Poggi traced the Church’s opposition to the death penalty to the Book of Genesis, which declares that every human being is created in the image of God. This divine imprint, he said, confers dignity and rights that belong to God alone. “The divine image in each person grants sacredness and intrinsic worth,” he affirmed. “This is why the commandment ‘You shall not kill’ remains one of the foundational moral laws.”
He invoked the biblical story of Cain and Abel as a reminder that life belongs to the Creator, and no person—or state—has the authority to take it away. “The Church upholds the sanctity of life as a fundamental value that must be protected,” Poggi said. “No authority has the right to impose death as punishment.”
Teaching and Witness of the Church
Citing paragraph 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Poggi reaffirmed the institution’s global stance against capital punishment. The Catechism describes such sentences as an “attack on human dignity” and urges governments to work toward their abolition. “The Church is committed to raising awareness of the sanctity of life,” he said, “and to supporting laws and initiatives that preserve it.”
Poggi also drew attention to the example of Sister Helen Prejean, the American nun renowned for her ministry to death row inmates and author of Dead Man Walking. “Her work shows how the death penalty wounds not only the condemned but also society itself,” Poggi noted. “Even in the harshest prison conditions, prisoners retain their God-given dignity.”
Justice Versus Revenge
Reflecting on the broader social and political implications, Poggi warned that the death penalty can be misused as a political tool, eroding the true meaning of justice. “Ideas of justice today are often distorted by ideology and driven by revenge,” he observed. “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”
For Poggi, punishment should aim at correction and redemption, not retribution. “Every person makes mistakes,” he said. “Execution closes the door to repentance and to hope. Real justice is fulfilled in life, not in death.”
Perils in the Middle East Context
In regions scarred by conflict, Poggi cautioned, expanding the use of the death penalty presents grave risks. “In the Middle East, dissenters can easily become targets merely for their beliefs,” he said. “Such measures undermine justice and the freedom essential for reconciliation.”
He expressed particular concern for Palestinian prisoners, many of whom face limited access to fair trials or legal defense. “New laws that impose death widen the divide between communities,” he added, “deepening wounds rather than healing them.”
A Holy Week Reflection
As Christians journey through Holy Week, Poggi linked the issue to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus—himself condemned under unjust laws. “Christ responded to violence not with retaliation but with forgiveness,” he reminded. “He offered life, even to those who condemned Him.”
That message, Poggi insisted, extends beyond the Church to all humanity. “The Holy Land needs light, not darkness; life, not blood,” he said. “Every person must be offered the chance to turn back, to change, and to live.”
A Call to Hope
Concluding with a theological reflection, Poggi emphasized that human life’s sacredness forms the cornerstone of any just society. “The human person is created in the image of God,” he said. “Christ offered redemption to all humanity, calling every person to a better life.”
In a land long marked by sorrow and division, the Church’s stance remains a plea for mercy over vengeance. As Father Poggi summed it up, “The defense of life is the foundation for peace—and the promise of hope.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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