As a Catholic, I expect the Catholic Church to support values exemplified by Jesus, like compassion and mercy. But when it comes to the global war on drugs, the Vatican has remained disappointingly inflexible and unforgiving in its stance.

Pope Francis has demonstrated courage, commitment and conviction by speaking out on behalf of the poor, marginalized and oppressed people of the world. He has done it consistently, lovingly and powerfully. However, he has repeatedly denounced any modernization of drug laws, insisting that the harshest of punishments continue to be handed down to drug users, and indirectly advocating the continued waste of trillions of dollars that could be better spent addressing important social and economic issues. This is not merciful, in my opinion.

Regardless of where you stand on drug use, it's hard not to see that the war on drugs is a complete failure. The war on drugs doesn't only punish drug users – it also penalizes their children, families, and communities. It is responsible for the incarceration of hundreds of thousands of people in this country alone, and many of these are people who have not committed any crime beyond use and addiction, for which they should be treated, not punished. Countless innocent people—whether suspects, bystanders or police officers—have lost their lives in the name of the drug war.

My Catholic faith tells me that this is wrong. For Catholics, 2016 is the “Jubilee Year of Mercy,” a time to reflect and act on the principle of mercy in our spiritual and private lives, and the world around us. But our drug laws are not at all rooted in mercy -- they're rooted in shame, harsh punishment, and separation.

Pope Francis has an opportunity to show more compassion on the issue: from April 19-21, 2016, world leaders will gather in New York City to debate drug policy. I am asking Pope Francis and the Holy See – a UN member state – to stand up on behalf of criminalized, marginalized and persecuted people, our brothers and sisters who happen to be drug users, by making a strong public statement on the importance of science, public health and human rights in global drug policy.

In this moment, we need Pope Francis, not only to pray for mercy, but to put faith in action and call on global leaders to do what is just and right: develop a global drug policy guided by compassion, mercy and human rights.