Posted on 10/23/2014 1:37:07 PM PDT by Gamecock
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis called for abolition of the death penalty as well as life imprisonment, and denounced what he called a "penal populism" that promises to solve society's problems by punishing crime instead of pursuing social justice.
"It is impossible to imagine that states today cannot make use of another means than capital punishment to defend peoples' lives from an unjust aggressor," the pope said Oct. 23 in a meeting with representatives of the International Association of Penal Law.
All Christians and people of good will are thus called today to struggle not only for abolition of the death penalty, whether it be legal or illegal and in all its forms, but also to improve prison conditions, out of respect for the human dignity of persons deprived of their liberty. And this, I connect with life imprisonment," he said. "Life imprisonment is a hidden death penalty."
The pope noted that the Vatican recently eliminated life inprisonment from its own penal code.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, cited by Pope Francis in his talk, "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," but modern advances in protecting society from dangerous criminals mean that "cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are very rare, if not practically nonexistent."
The pope said that, although a number of countries have formally abolished capital punishment, "the death penalty, illegally and to a varying extent, is applied all over the planet," because "extrajudicial executions" are often disguised as "clashes with offenders or presented as the undesired consequences of the reasonable, necessary and proportionate use of force to apply the law."
The pope denounced the detention of prisoners without trial, who he said account for more than 50 percent of all incarcerated people in some countries. He said maximum security prisons can be a form of torture, since their "principal characteristic is none other than external isolation," which can lead to "psychic and physical sufferings such as paranoia, anxiety, depression and weight loss and significantly increase the chance of suicide."
He also rebuked unspecified governments involved in kidnapping people for "illegal transportation to detention centers in which torture is practiced."
The pope said criminal penalties should not apply to children, and should be waived or limited for the elderly, who "on the basis of their very errors can offer lessons to the rest of society. We don't learn only from the virtues of saints but also from the failings and errors of sinners."
Pope Francis said contemporary societies overuse criminal punishment, partially out of a primitive tendency to offer up "sacrificial victims, accused of the disgraces that strike the community."
The pope said some politicians and members of the media promote "violence and revenge, public and private, not only against those responsible for crimes, but also against those under suspicion, justified or not."
He denounced a growing tendency to think that the "most varied social problems can be resolved through public punishment ... that by means of that punishment we can obtain benefits that would require the implementation of another type of social policy, economic policy and policy of social inclusion."
Using techniques similar to those of racist regimes of the past, the pope said, unspecified forces today create "stereotypical figures that sum up the characteristics that society perceives as threatening."
Pope Francis concluded his talk by denouncing human trafficking and corruption, both crimes he said "could never be committed without the complicity, active or passive, of public authorities."
The pope spoke scathingly about the mentality of the typical corrupt person, whom he described as conceited, unable to accept criticism, and prompt to insult and even persecute those who disagree with him.
"The corrupt one does not perceive his own corruption. It is a little like what happens with bad breath: someone who has it hardly ever realizes it; other people notice and have to tell him," the pope said. "Corruption is an evil greater than sin. More than forgiveness, this evil needs to be cured."
Death Penalty - 0% Recidivism Rate
As for the rest, your logic makes no sense. You're extending to the killer a salvific exemption not extended to his victims. If we must by your logic assume that the victims have met their eternal fate because God employed the killer as the agent of His will, there's no reason not to claim the same role for the State in applying judgement; and the murderer has ample opportunity to make a full confession and perfect Act of Contrition, something of which his victims were almost certainly deprived.
Actually Catholic Church teaching has never ruled it out completely. Even JPII’s catechism doesn’t rule it out completely.
Execution is not murder.
The problem with “life imprisonment” is that (1) there’s always a chance a judge will release them, regardless of the original sentence, and (2) they can still harm others while in prison. On the other hand, a BIG problem with execution is that the person may not be guilty, and another is the possibility that a person may repent and be converted.
This is why I say it’s not an easy question.
I think all news media are more likely to be wrong than right. What’s it to you?
True.
Because typically people blame the secular media for taking Francis out of context, etc, not the Catholic media.
I’m sure the Pope has had many beautiful encounters with hand-picked, photogenic prisoners. Let him go to one of those real prisons, where there are thousands of vicious animals who would throw their feces at him and cut his throat, if they weren’t caged in chrome-steel boxes.
And that system of justice is so great people are just waiting in line to get there-not-my ancestors left the place before 1800, and am I ever glad...
Several countries in S America don’t have life sentences, either-none of the are what I’d call safe.
As a Catholic, I can understand and respect his position on the death penalty; but to be opposed to life imprisonment shows he has a deep misunderstanding of the criminal mind.
He'll come out of there saying the same thing Richard Pryor did, "Thank God We Got Penitentiaries."
Yes, not much different.
I think they overlook two things, the danger to guards/other prisoners, and the potential for regime change and pardon/escape.
"Pelosi does not perceive her own corruption. It is a little like what happens with bad breath: someone who has it hardly ever realizes it; other people notice and have to tell him," the pope said. "Corruption is an evil greater than sin. More than forgiveness, this evil needs to be cured."
Glad to see the Pope addressing SOME of the evils in the Church today.
Also reported the same way by Vatican Radio:
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-no-to-death-penalty-and-to-inhuman-prison-con
Exact quotes.
Your viewpoint is reasonable, as well. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to say, “I’m sure,” in general or about particular cases, because I’m not in a position to make the decisions.
Sure.
I realize the Vatican has never supported the death penalty-but what is with opposing life sentences? There really are evil people in this world who remain unrepentant-they don’t need to be free again, ever-does Pope Francis think Charles Manson-or someone like him-would beg forgiveness?
I want Pope Benedict back...
So what is the appropriate time to put someone in prison then? Is 10 years sufficient for a child serial murderer?
Where is this from? I don’t see it in the OP.
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