Pope on death penalty: 'Thou shalt not kill' is absolute

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20160621_ap_26e2fb9745634a289db029e31bcfd555.html ^

[Olog-hai]

The word translated “kill” in Ecclesiastes 3:3 is translated from Hebrew “harag”, which actually means in most senses to put a murderer to death. That is in contrast with the word translated “kill” in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17, which is Hebrew “ratsach”, and that means “murder”.

[piusv]

I understand. Yes, Francis is an outlier compared to some others, but JPII was one of his precursors.

[ConservativeDude]

Perhaps.

I’m strongly pro-capital punishment. But I can see how logically someone can be so unimpressed with the system that they say that it would be rare for a system of capital punishment to operate fairly and in a praiseworthy manner. I don’t agree with that, but I can sort of see how one might come to that conclusion, and that is what I think JPII did.

I don’t recall JPII saying anything against traditional just war theory, and that would be strange given his experience as a persecuted layman and priest in Poland.

But I think it’s a huge leap for Francis to go to the next level and say that all killing is proscribed by “thou shalt not kill”. That is neither the Biblical position, obviously, nor the traditional Catholic position.

I sort of see JPII really as more playing out his very bad experience with arbitrary and oppressive regimes...rather than being a proto-pacifist.

I think Francis is simply a liberal.

(I wouldn’t be surprised if eventually Francis says that all killing is wrong, but abortion is ok, because babies are not yet human).

BTW...I’m just an observer here. Not Catholic, though I have a graduate degree from a Catholic university and I have tried to take seriously the theological and philosophical tradition of the RC Church, and its greatness. I’m also a big JPII fan because anyone that helps bring down communism gets a high five from me.....