[steve86]

The Church defends the death penalty imposed for the punishment of grave crimes.

This is an error in Catholic doctrine. As my wife just pointed out: "That's the Muslim way".

“The State is there,” he says, “to serve God for your benefit"

How's that working out?

Wrong has been done to society by a criminal. The State is divinely authorized to penalize the one who had been tried and found guilty of a serious crime.

How about if I sentence the state to death for commission of grave crimes (i.e. abortion).

[Salvation]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

[Salvation]

From Catholic Culture

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ARTICLE 5: THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT You shall not kill. 54 You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment." But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. 55

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I. RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE

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2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person. Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent." ⁶⁸

Notes:

68 John Paul II, Evangelium vitae 56.

Digital text and search utility provided courtesy of Trinity Communications.

English Translation of the Cathechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America © 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.

[Salvation]

**How about if I sentence the state to death for commission of grave crimes (i.e. abortion).**

As you can see from the definition, the politicians who support abortion are excommunicated. And as I understand it, only the Pope can remove that excommunication.

Am I wrong there?