What is the Pope's view on Capital punishment?

-- katherine hegarty (hegarty@mcmail.com), July 20, 1999

Answers

I believe he considers it unnecessary in the modern, western countries, since warehousing thousands of criminals for life is now routine. This has been possible only in this century, so it was never an issue in the past.

-- just (need@a.rope), July 20, 1999.

I also beleieve the Pope sees no benefit in capital punishment. After all we do not the responsibilty of punishing the soul which is the harvesting concerning the Pope and any Christian. An eye for an eye is now I believe a thing of the past. Justice yes revenge no.+Peace+

-- jean bouchardRC, (jeanb@cwk.imag.netj), July 20, 1999.

The Church has always granted that a justly constituted civil authority had the right to punish a criminal found guilty of a very grave crime by death. (Gen 9:6) This was only granted to the civil authorities, not to individuals, for the protection of the society. This was to insure that the criminal could not possibly commit the crime again. St. Thomas Aquinas the moral theologian of the Catholic Church addresses this in his Suma Q63-71.

What Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Bishops have said recently is that, in our modern society with the current prison systems it is no longer necessary to put a criminal to death to protect society. It is now possible to really put a criminal in prison for life and they will without a doubt never see the outside again. So the Church is saying that society still has the right to inflect the death penalty, but in most cases, no longer has the need to exercise that right. Remember society can kill a criminal only as a punishment, inflected by public authority, for the common good and protection and only for a very grave crime. It should never be looked at as retribution, satisfaction, vengeance etc.

So sacred is human life that no public authority, no private person, can directly kill an innocent person for any reason.

-- Br. Rich S.F.O. (repsfo@prodigy.net), July 20, 1999.

Br. Rich - Your referance to our Church condoning capital punishment I feel is on the books from the very old days. Do not forget the political implications involved. I for one believe the Pope says NO and no neans no. Which part of the answer are you having problems with the Big N or the little O?

Our Pope visits the man who attempted to kill him with a gun. He forgave as we should also. I think that man will see heaven due to repentance spiritual guidance and the hand of God.+Peace+

-- jean bouchardRC (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), July 23, 1999.

I have no problem with the Church teaching or the pope's statement??? Capital punishment is not evil in itself it is just no longer necessary.

-- Br. Rich S.F.O. (repsfo@prodigy.net), July 23, 1999.

Br. Rich - Your " acceptance " of taking another life through "legislated means " by the Church speaks of the forked- tongued statements by so may politicians and clerics. Again no means no.

I guess with your type of reasoning if monies in the society where being re-scheduled to other "primary" areas then the population of penitentiares would be decreased through cost reduction methods.

In addition AIDS - Psyche - Mentally Deficient - Homosexuals - even those having DNA deficiencies could I say could be included. No means No. It is likened to telling a suitor by a parent my daughter is just a little pregnant but a great gal non the less.

Your post(s) are usally based on what you have read or been told. What does your heart say?

-- jean bouchardRC (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), July 24, 1999.

Jean,

I'm thinking you haven't read the Holy Father's encyclical on this topic, nor the Catechism's section. The Pope does not simply say "no." Rather, he nuances his opposition to the death penalty exactly as Br. Rich has explained. It is not a "no means no" situation at all.

-- David Palm (djpalm64@yahoo.com), July 24, 1999.

Having read this issue by the Pope still leaves me with the thought No means No. I shudder to think of the extinction of a Temple of The Holy Spirit being done. Somewhere in the maze of confusion is the Divine Spark given not stolen as Prometheus did from Olympus.+Peace+

-- jean bouchardRC (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), July 24, 1999.

I am not persuaded that because society is able to lock someone up for life, that capital punishment is no longer acceptable in most cases. The concept of life in prison without parole is not new to 20th century man.

Christians have historically seen in Scripture ample support for the death penalty. God is the author of life (life is not "sacred") and we may take life if we do such in accord with God's will. The current teaching of the RC church obviously reflects the influence of humanism.

By the way, I recall reading somewhere an excerpt from an address by Pope Pius XII to Italian jurists in which he stated that the death penalty for serious crime was morally just and appropriate. I could not find this on the web -- does anyone know if it's on-line? I seriously doubt he conditioned his approval of the absence of "other remedies."

-- Steve Jackson (SteveJ100@hotmail.com), July 24, 1999.

Dear Katherine, The Pope has stated that capital punishment is not necessary in this day and age, but it is not sinful if it is ordered by the state. This is a little off the topic, but------- I have known a victim and the murderer. Executing the murderer will not bring back the victim and vengence is not a good enough reason to commit another murder. "Vengence is mine, sayeth the Lord." People who believe in capital punishment should have to be the one to throw the switch or administer the drugs. Then they are responsible for their own actions. It's far easier to yell and scream about justice for the victim, so let the victims' family pull the switch. Then it becomes a descision that they will have to live with and be accountalble for. I, for one, will not be a part of anyone's death, whether I feel they deserve it or not. I am not in the position to judge, no matter how close to the situation I am or how far removed. I don't think anyone is in the heart and soul of a murderer at the exact moment of their descision to take another's life, so I would never be sure of their motives or their state of mind. Ellen

-- Ellen K. Hornby (dkh@canada.com), August 28, 1999.

If God's will is stated in the Ten Commandments and the Fifth Commandment says "You shall not murder", what room is there left for discussion. Is the RCC saying that it is up to man's discretion whether God's law of the law of man in applicable in certain circumstances. How very ridiculous. This is hipocrisy at its very best!

Br. Rich, while I understand that you as a clergyman will take the position of the RCC I really wonder what you personally understand by "for the protection of society capital punishment may be justyfied". Are we talking about a perfect and immaculate society reflecting God's order or are we talking about a society with very much room for further improvement. Man is shaping society according to his own law and not God's law. No matter haw hard man tries to get rid of all simptoms (e.g. crimes) actually telling him that he has gone off-course it is only natural that God's law will prevail in the end. It is an either or decision and not a little bit of this and a lot of that. That's hipocrisy.

The most disappointing fact however is, that the church keeps on walking down the wide and easy road while pretending to tell others not to do so.

-- luis gasser (l_gasser@hotmail.com), August 29, 1999.

Luis - I fully agree with your point of view for the hypocrisy in so many areas of Church application of the Depost of Faith leaves much to be desired.

With Br. Rich he is a learned man who perhaps follows the rule as security. As for myself I would rather err on the side of humanity for I do not recall Christ condoning murder. Then again God calls us to follow to the best of one's ability. This Franciscan would never never kill another human being intentionally.+Peace+

-- jean bouchardRC (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), August 29, 1999.