Capital punishment has been a feature of society since the beginning of time. But is the death penalty just? Addressing the issue of capital punishment right from the beginning of its appearance in the Book of Genesis in Sacred Scripture, together with the writings of modern Popes on the subject including Blessed Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, this book outlines the slow, but steady, movement away from the death penalty as punishment in civilized societies within the context of the inviolable dignity of the human person. It also presents the conclusions of postmodern Christian leaders including Pope Francis on the death penalty as an unnecessary and particularly barbaric form of torture in today's world.