October Respect Life Refresher

The Death Penalty

Although “legitimate public authority has the right and the duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense, ”it is not for the sake of vengeance." The Catechism of the Catholic Church goes on to say, “in addition to defending public order and protecting people’s safety, [punishment] has a medicinal purpose: as far as possible, it must contribute to the correction of the guilty party.” Although justice does require some action of reparation on our part, at the same time, because of God’s mercy, our penance is medicinal, helping to restore us to union with God.
 
The Catechism teaches, “in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.’ While the death penalty “was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes,” its use is no longer necessary to safeguard the common good. The Catechism notes that in our modern world, “more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.” No sin or crime is greater than God’s mercy.
 
The victims and families of violent crimes face unimaginable pain, and the effects extend well beyond the initial shock and trauma. As Catholics we are all “called to stand with victims in their hurt and in their search for healing and genuine justice.” Victims and their families often have spiritual, physical, and emotional needs that are not simply satisfied by the criminal justice system. Christ Himself “was delivered into the hands of the wicked, yet he prayed for his persecutors and overcame hatred with the blood of the cross.”
USCCB Website / Pro Life Activities