Vatican City, Dec 1 (IANS/AKI): Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday appealed to politicians to eliminate capital punishment, saying it is a violation of human dignity.
Speaking at the the Vatican to international delegations participating in conference on the theme "No Justice without Life", the Pope said: "I express my hope that your deliberations will encourage the political and legislative initiatives being promoted in a growing number of countries to eliminate the death penalty and to continue the substantive progress made in conforming penal law both to the human dignity of prisoners and the effective maintenance of public order."
The Vatican is a vocal critic of capital punishment, at times equating the persecution of early Christians in ancient Rome to the plight suffered by modern-day prisoners on death row.