Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher yesterday addressed three different Human Rights Council sessions focusing on the death penalty, global debt justice, and the broader challenges facing human rights. Source: Vatican News.
The secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States and International Organisations reiterated the Holy See’s firm stance that the death penalty is “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”.
Archbishop Gallagher underscored the fact that modern judicial systems possess the means to protect society without resorting to capital punishment, which eliminates all possibilities of redemption and rehabilitation.
He recalled Pope Francis’ appeal in the context of the Jubilee Year, which calls for acts of mercy, including commuting sentences, reinforcing the belief that no authority has the right to take another’s life.
“There is no debt that allows anyone, including the state, to demand the life of another,” he stated.
Speaking at a high-level panel on global debt, Archbishop Gallagher highlighted the disproportionate burden of debt on developing nations. He pointed out that nearly half of the world’s population lives in countries where more is spent on debt servicing than on essential services such as health and education.
“The greatest sufferings, which can be traced back both to structural questions as well as personal behaviour, strike the people of poor and indebted countries who are not responsible for this situation,” he said.
Referencing the Pope’s appeal for substantial debt relief during the Jubilee Year, the archbishop said that economic justice must prioritise human dignity over financial gain.
He also drew attention to the concept of “ecological debt,” where wealthier nations benefit from the environmental resources of poorer countries without equitable compensation, further deepening global inequalities.
“It is not right to demand or expect payment when a country’s people cannot even access basic necessities,” he said quoting Pope Francis.
In his address to the High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council, Archbishop Gallagher placed the right to life at the centre of all human rights discussions. He condemned all threats to human dignity, from the death penalty to inadequate support for vulnerable populations, including displaced persons and the unborn.
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Archbishop Gallagher raises crucial issues at Human Rights Council (By Linda Bordoni, Vatican News)
