Francis’ condemnation of death penalty shows Christianity’s counter-cultural approach to punishment

Yesterday Britain released one of its longest serving prisoners, Harry Roberts, who shot dead three policemen in 1966. At the time of his sentencing, the trial judge recommended he serve a minimum 30-year tariff and suggested Roberts might never be freed. Understandably his release has been condemned by police representatives. In a strange coincidence, on the day Roberts left prison, Pope Francis addressed representatives of the International Association of Penal Law where he said life imprisonment was “a hidden death penalty” and said capital punishment should be abolished. "All Christians and people of good will are thus called today to struggle not only for abolition of the death penalty, whether it be legal or illegal and in all its forms, but also to improve prison con