Top Vatican official condemns Saddam's death penalty

A top Vatican official condemned the death sentence against Saddam Hussein in a newspaper interview published today, saying capital punishment goes against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cardinal Renato Martino, Pope Benedict XVI’s top prelate for justice issues and a former Vatican envoy to the UN, said executing the ousted Iraqi leader would punish “a crime with another crime,” and he expressed hope that the sentence would not be carried out.