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Someone already posted the CCC. I posted the Catechism of Trent above in response.

I'd like to see any traditional teaching of the Church that supports the second half of this statement from the CCC:

"...when this is the only practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively against the aggressor."

I haven't been able to find any. Does the CCC reference any Church fathers, Scripture, Councils in support of that part of the statement?

"...when this is the only practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively against the aggressor."

The technology that makes it possible in some societies to imprison murderers for life, without risk to society, was not available or even imaginable at the time of the Council of Trent, so it's hard to imagine the bishops saying, "but if it becomes technically possible someday to imprison murderers for life... etc."

This is a refinement of doctrine, not a change in doctrine. The Church is not repudiating the right of the State to execute murderers.

I haven't been able to find any. Does the CCC reference any Church fathers, Scripture, Councils in support of that part of the statement?

What does it matter to you? You are required to believe it anyway. The teachings of the CCC represent part of the Ordinary Magisterium and therefore require your "religious submission of mind and will", according to the doctrine of Obsequium religiosum, summed up nicely in Lumen Gentium:

Bishops, teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be respected by all as witnesses to divine and Catholic truth. In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking.