The fundamental right of every human being is the right to life. This right has been denied to many people throughout history, especially in cases of serious crimes punishable by death. Today in many communities, there are disagreements about the justification of the death penalty. Many believe that a murderer should receive a punishment equivalent to his crime, while others believe that the state must find new and more humane ways of punishing. The Church's teaching on the death penalty has changed throughout history, but it is now clear that the Church considers the death penalty inadmissible for any reason, and encourages believers to become more actively involved in changing legislation and engaging in its abolition. The issue of the death penalty is a topical and very complex issue. We will therefore divide the paper into three parts. In the first part, we will deal with the history of the death penalty, the ways in which it was carried out and the presence of the death penalty in some countries around the world today. In the second part, we will try to present the views of proponents and opponents of the death penalty. In the last third chapter, we will present the Church's position on the death penalty throughout history and the position of three popes on this matter: John Paul II, Benedict XVI and pope Francis.