St.
Joseph Church
Bristol, Connecticut
Deacon Robert M. Pallotti
Pastoral Minister
On the Death Penalty:
Clarification in the Definitive Edition of the Catechism
Social Development and World Peace
Office, USCC
A Statement by Most Reverend William S. Skylstad, Bishop of
Spokane
Chairman, Committee for Domestic Policy
UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
On behalf of the National Conference of Catholic bishops,
I express our pleasure with the modifications to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
regarding the death penalty. The Holy Father has spoken out repeatedly against violence in
all its forms. The Papal Encyclical, The Gospel of Life, is a clear articulation of
this and the language of the Definitive Edition of the Catechism is entirely consistent
with these teachings.
The clarification of teaching about the penalty is in the context of
a state's right and duty to protect society from unjust aggression. The revision makes it
all clear, however, that when non-lethal means are sufficient to achieve this protection,
civil authorities ought to use only those means. And because of the advances in state
options to otherwise remove the offender from further harm to society, cases where the
death penalty should
be used "are very rare" if not practically
non-existent." (John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 56)
Additionally, punishments other than death "are more in keeping
with the concrete conditions of the common good ad more in conformity with the dignity of
the human person."
For over 25, years, Bishops in the United States have called into
question the necessity for capital punishment in the context of respect for life.
Within our culture, we are tragically turning to violence in search
for quick and easy answers to complex human problems. Increasingly, our society looks to
violent measures to deal with some of our most difficult social problems--millions of
abortions to address problem pregnancies, advocacy of euthanasia and assisted suicide to
cope with the burdens of age and illness, and increased reliance on the death penalty to
deal with crime.
For Catholics in the United States, we hope these changes will
increase the dialogue around the death penalty and create an environment where we take a
hard look at the violence in our culture and the need to defend life at all levels and in
all circumstances.
For further information contact:
http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/97-194a.htm
or Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Compiled by Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Created 8/14/1998
|