Pope Leo XIV has condemned capital punishment, but Frank Wright argues that this conflicts with centuries of Catholic teaching and the positions of earlier popes and theologians, including St. Thomas Aquinas. The Church’s historical acceptance of capital punishment under certain circumstances reflects a coherent understanding of justice, authority, and the common good. Presenting contemporary political preferences as Catholic doctrine risks undermining the Church’s credibility among believers and nonbelievers alike.
Wright expands his criticism: the Vatican’s increasingly progressive political rhetoric reflects liberal internationalism rather than traditional Catholic social teaching. He connects this ideological shift to mass migration, permanent warfare, secular humanism, and what he calls a dangerous tendency toward “DIY religion”—where established teachings are reshaped to accommodate modern political fashions.
Catholicism must retain its distinct theological and moral identity—rather than become another expression of liberal progressivism. The Church is not a political party. Its teaching is not a platform. And its doctrine is not a draft to be edited by each generation. Wright urges viewers to pray for Pope Leo and the Church. The question is whether the Church will recover its identity or continue drifting into the ideology of the world. The answer will determine whether it remains Catholic.
