Pope Francis on Sunday called for a worldwide ban on the death penalty, saying the commandment "you shall not kill" was just as valid for the guilty as for the innocent.<br />Using some of his strongest words ever against capital punishment, he also called on Catholic politicians worldwide to make "a courageous and exemplary gesture" by seeking a moratorium on executions during the Church's current Holy Year, which ends in November.<br />"I appeal to the consciences of those who govern to reach an international consensus to abolish the death penalty," he told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.<br />"The commandment "You shall not kill," has absolute value and applies to both the innocent and the guilty," he told the crowd.<br />The 1.2 billion-member Catholic Church allowed the death penalty in extreme cases for centuries, but the position began to change under the late Pope John Paul, who died in 2005.
