Vatican City - Pope Leo XIV's feud with the Trump administration is deepening after he appeared to criticize the decision to lift a moratorium on federal capital punishment and readopt firing squad executions.

"The Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves to be protected," Pope Leo XIV wrote in a post on X on Friday.

"Indeed, the right to life is the very foundation of every other human right. For this reason, only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life will it flourish and prosper."

The Pontiff's comments were meant as a commemoration of the 15th anniversary of Illinois' decision to abolish the death penalty in 2011.

They also came mere hours after acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday announced the Department of Justice is seeking to expand the use of the death penalty in federal capital cases.

Blanche also said the DOJ would add firing squads, electrocution, and gassing to the list of federally approved execution methods.

"The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers," Blanche said.

Pope Leo argued in a statement released by the Vatican that there are plenty of "effective systems of detention" that can be used to protect citizens from the country's most dangerous criminals.

"The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment," Leo stated. "The Church teaches that 'the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.'"

"I offer my support to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world," the pope added.