Posted on 03/22/2005 1:18:49 PM PST by TChris
In the week before Easter, as Christians reflect on the execution of Jesus, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is launching a campaign to end the use of the death penalty in the United States.
Although the campaign reflects the consistent teaching of Pope John Paul II, it marks something of a shift in priorities for the nation's Roman Catholic bishops, who last issued a major statement against capital punishment 25 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Well, of course. Let us save the guilty and murder the innocent, by all means.
As long as their priorities are in check.
Stand by in silence while a Catholic is dehydrated and starved by Judicial decree, but fight for the right of criminals to live and get fat off of tax paid sustenance.
There is no teaching in the Catholic Church that warrants abolishing capital punishment.
And just as we were getting to know Mr. Couey. Damn.
But then, an awlful lot of us are not catholic.
Oops! Please note: the article is from 3/21/2005, not 3/22, as I had entered. It didn't appear in any searches of FR.
I admit, I'm not very familiar with Catholic doctrine. Is a declaration by the Pope considered equal to the Bible in authority? If he declares capital punishment wrong, are Catholics obligated to follow?
The Catholic church is getting a little overbearing. IMO
They need to clean up their own backyard first.
They shouldn't be trying to publicly pressure the USA into
following Catholic doctrine. Diplomacy should be done by that
nations Ambassador to the US- not in public.
Correct you are. The Catechism of Trent demands capital punishment, teaching that it is obedience to the commandment which prohibits murder, lawfully addressing the rights of the aggrieved.
Since forgiveness is the part of the parties wronged, not the state, I would say that a governor is obliged to execute a criminal, unless he is petitionned not to the family.
If he were to declare it wrong infallibly, yes we would be obliged. But since such a declaration is contrary to Holy Scriptures, he could not issue such a declaration.
Besides, nothing like wasting political capitol on the crap. Can there be little wonder why church fathers would say such stuff as "the floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops" ... and the truth of what he said be considered so correct that the bishops themselves would be compelled to declare the man who said that a saint and a church father?
Stuff like this is why I left the Catholic Church years ago.
"For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life.Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person's bood be shed; for in His own Image God made humankind."
The Lord's Covenant with Noah and all Mankind
Genesis 9:5-6
Perhaps life is so cheap because the penalty for destroying it is a mere smack on the hand. If executing murders creates a culture of murder, then doesn't locking up criminals create a culture of imprisonment?
Besides, if the bishops and Pope hold that executing criminals is wrong, then does the Vatican admit that all of the bishops and popes who accepted and even ordered executions in the past 1900 years were wrong?
Why don't the Good Father start with the MURDER of Terri Schiavo?
Oh, I forgot, the Left would accuse them of interfering in the political process, can't have that now can we.
My, Senator Sewer Trout in Mass. would be outraged, he might even write an Op Ed in the Times.
STAND UP AND SHOW SOME COURAGE YOU CLOWNS, TELL THE JUDGE AND THE DEMOCATS THEY ARE WRONG AND YOU WILL HOLD THE ACCOUNTABLE.
I am a praticing Roman Catholic, I will not give one red cent to church until they do stand up and defend the faith and speak out on this abomination and the abomination that is abortion.
What to get their attention, stop the money, they will be all ears.
I have made this clear in letters to my Bishop and Parish Priest.
I strongly suggest the rest of you do the same.
That's only because of the extraordinary lengths to which US law goes to protect the defendant. The seemingly endless appeals and rigorous care which go into trying a capital case keep innocent people from being executed, but do add to the costs.
If you only count the direct dollars spent, then you are right. If, however, you count the intangible benefits of capital punishment, such as the strong deterrent effect it has on potential violent crime, then I believe the long-term costs are lower on the capital punishment side.
I would be willing to accept this position if they focused on Abortion firts. Yes, Fr. Pavone is great, but there is no nationwide anti-abortion push. Surely saving the innocent should have priority over saving the guilty.
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