08/06/2018
■Class discussion: Do you think the pope’s new teaching will change the opinions of the 53 percent of U.S. Catholics who favor the death penalty? Do you think the pope’s stance will affect any politicians’ positions on capital punishment? Most of the world’s nations have abolished the death penalty and even more have simply stopped executing anyone. Why hasn’t the United States ended executions? Which nations execute the most people? What have other religious leaders said about capital punishment?