• The Holy See is following the case with attention and participation. The position of the church, which is opposed to the death penalty, is that stoning is a particularly brutal form.
• Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi • Informing the world that Pope Benedict XVI is willing to get diplomatically involved in the Iran stoning case if it escalates any further. The case, if you’re not aware, involves Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was convicted of adultery in a case that involved the death of her husband. She was sentenced to stoning, which involves groups of people throwing stones at the person convicted – not exactly a fun way to die. (She was also sentenced to 99 lashes because of a newspaper photo that was reportedly not even of her.) The fact that this has the Pope’s attention raises hope that there might be a diplomatic solution to the humanitarian crisis. source

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