in this regard was the action of the Inquisition in its struggle against alleged heretics. Other suspects such as highwaymen and murderers were also sentenced to death by ecclesiastical courts. In 1952, Pope Pius XII stated: "Even when it is a question of the execution of a condemned man, the State does not dispose of the individual’s right to life. In this case it is reserved to the public power to deprive the condemned person of the enjoyment of life in expiation of his crime when, by his crime, he has already disposed himself of his right to live." Pope John Paul II, who in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae of 25 March 1995 rejected the death penalty, although he still spoke of a possible justification of executions in order to "defend society", would later become a fierce opponent of the death penalty, describing it to be "cruel and unnecessary". Pope Francis has strongly and repeatedly condemned the death penalty, which he views as "contrary to the Gospel" and "inadmissible in all cases". According to Francis, the death penalty, regardless of the means and the reasons, intrinsically denies the human dignity of the condemned: "It must be clearly stated that the death penalty is an inhumane measure that, regardless of how it is carried out, abases human dignity,” the Pope declared, adding that, “doctrine cannot be preserved without allowing it to develop, nor can it be tied to an interpretation that is rigid and immutable without demeaning the working of the Holy Spirit.” Concerning the previous stance of the Church about the death penalty, Francis’ philosophy stipulates that the Church is always a community on a journey and development: "For Francis, the Church is not a set of rules or static teachings, but rather a community on a journey. Catholics do not possess the fullness of the mystery of God, but over time we come to understand it better, as Pope John XXIII recognized. To be faithful to God, the Church’s teachings must reflect this growth or development in understanding." References He executed justice. Retrieved 11 April 2005 Mastro Titta. Retrieved 14 July 2005. . Retrieved 14 July 2005. When Mastro Titta Crossed the Bridge Executioners People of the Papal States 1779 births 1869 deaths 18th-century Italian people 19th-century Italian people