Pope Francis supports the steps taken by California to halt the use of the death penalty, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
Newsom told Catholic News Service that the pope “immediately brought up the issue of the death penalty” during their meeting on May 16.
The governor said that during their exchange, the pope expressed “how proud he was of the work we’re doing in California.”
Newsom was at the Vatican for a summit on climate resilience, which brought seven other governors and 16 mayors from around the world to Rome.
Newsom told CNS after his meeting with Pope Francis that he was “struck” by the pope’s sudden comments to him on the death penalty.