Dear Editor: I’m 79 years young, a retired civil engineer, a widower, and humbly a faithful Catholic. I completely disagree with the pope’s recent pronouncement on the death penalty.

I don’t believe in revenge or an eye for an eye but I do believe in justice. Think a little bit about how depraved someone is to take the life of another without mercy. What about the victim, his/her spouse and all those who lose the love they shared? The criminal has voluntarily renounced his/her human dignity ascribed by Pope Francis.

I believe in life imprisonment without parole but that the death penalty should be an option in all cases where the nature of the crime and criminal warrant it.

Was the punishment at Nuremberg too severe?

No argument would change my mind, only the Holy Spirit.

JOHN GROSSO
Jackson Heights