"The Community of Sant'Egidio gratefully accepts and agrees to spread everywhere the strong appeal of Pope Francis against the death penalty and for the improvement of prison conditions, in respect for human dignity even of persons deprived of liberty.

The topics developed by the Holy Father in his address today to the International Association of Penal Law authoritatively confirm the commitment of our Community in the international campaign “No justice without life”, which in these very days is being developed in two conferences, in Tokyo and Manila, in the heart of Asia, which remains the continent where the death penalty continues to maintain the highest number of casualties, although there are significant signs of openness on the part of some governments and civil society.

The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, which currently includes 150 international organisations, was established in 2002 at the headquarters of our Community in Trastevere. The Pope's words encourage us to continue on the path undertaken and to insist that the issue of the moratorium on capital punishment be reproposed and approved in the General Assembly of the United Nations being held in New York