Posted on 03/23/2005 12:34:45 PM PST by siunevada
Groundbreaking Zogby Poll Demonstrates Dramatic Rise in Catholic Opposition to Use of the Death Penalty
WASHINGTON (March 21, 2005)—The U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops today launched a Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, declared, “We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. We cannot defend life by taking life.” Speaking at the National Press Club on behalf of the U.S. bishops’ conference, Cardinal McCarrick said, “The Catholic campaign will work to change the debate and decisions on the use of the death penalty: building a constituency for life, not death; calling on our lawmakers to lead, not follow; to defend life, not take it away. . . . This cause is not new. Our bishops’ conference has opposed the death penalty for 25 years. But this campaign is new. It brings greater urgency and unity, increased energy and advocacy, and a renewed call to our people and to our leaders to end the use of the death penalty in our nation.”
At the press conference, noted pollster John Zogby reported on an unprecedented survey of Catholic attitudes on the death penalty: “We found that support for the use of the death penalty among American Catholics has plunged in the past few years. The intensity of support has declined as well. In past surveys, Catholic support for the death penalty was as high as 68%. In our November survey, we found that less than half of the Catholic adults in our poll (48%) now support the use of the death penalty, while 47% oppose it. The percentage of Catholics who are intensely supportive of the death penalty has been halved, from a high of 40% to 20% in this survey.” Zogby also reported that:
* The more often Catholics attend Mass, the less likely they are to support the use of the death penalty.
* The younger Catholics are, the less likely they are to support the death penalty.
* A third of Catholics who once supported the use of the death penalty now oppose it.
Among the major reasons Catholics gave for opposing the use of the death penalty was “respect for life.” Two of three (63%) Catholics are deeply concerned about what the use of the death penalty “does to us as a people and a country,” according to the surveys. (The charts used in the presentation are attached to this press release.)
Cardinal McCarrick emphasized the Church’s commitment to victims of violence and their families as a central part of the campaign. Bud Welch, whose daughter Julie Marie was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing, made an impassioned plea: “My conviction is simple: More violence is not what Julie would have wanted. More violence will not bring Julie back. More violence only makes our society more violent. The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty is another way for the Church to say no to more violence and no to our culture of death.”
Cardinal McCarrick said the campaign is about “justice. . . . The death penalty in our land is deeply flawed.” Demonstrating this reality, Kirk Bloodsworth told his story of coming into the Catholic faith on death row: “I spent eight years, 11 months and 19 days behind bars before DNA testing proved my innocence. Since 1973, more than 100 people have been exonerated from death row after being cleared of their charges. . . . Every bit of my story exemplifies the problems in the death penalty system. The same systemic flaws that led to my wrongful conviction . . . plague the cases of innocent people in prison and on death row.” Cardinal McCarrick said, “the use of the death penalty cannot really be mended, it must be ended.”
The Catholic Campaign, according to the Cardinal will “educate — in our parishes and schools, universities and seminaries. We need to share Catholic teaching with courage and clarity, reaching out to those who teach our children, write our textbooks, form our priests, and preach in our pulpits. This is a work of formation and persuasion, not simply proclamation. … The Catholic campaign will act — with continued advocacy in the Congress and state legislatures, in our legal briefs and before the courts. . . . This is just a beginning.”
The Catholic campaign has a new website www.ccedp.org, which includes a basic brochure, clear explanation of the Church’s teaching, and resources for education and action. It includes the many statements of bishops around the country (e.g., powerful statements just in the past week by Archbishop Chaput of Denver and Bishop Wuerl of Pittsburgh ). It will include lesson plans for Catholic schools and religious education, action alerts, and tools for advocacy.
Cardinal McCarrick pointed out this campaign brings the Church together. Gail Quinn, Executive Director of the Secretariat for Pro Life Activities, welcomed the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty. Ms. Quinn said, “This cause unites our pro life and social justice convictions in defense of human life and dignity. We are called to respect human life in all stages, and in all circumstances. I hope that Catholics will increasingly speak to their belief that the use of the death penalty in this nation must cease. We pledge to be an integral part of carrying out this campaign”
Cardinal McCarrick, once a supporter of the death penalty, concluded his statement by saying, “I’m not a young man. But as a pastor, teacher, and citizen, I hope I will see the day when the nation I love no longer relies on violence to confront violence. I pray I will see the day when we have given up the illusion that we can teach that killing is wrong by killing.”
For additional information go to www.ccedp.org.
Not true. Such odds would exist for a pristine sample, but most false results are due to contamination.
Real world: Stop the money and they will say, "why should we listen to you, who don't give us money?"
And no-one, even a liberal, likes to admit to himself that he can be bought.
I must admit that the Schiavo case has made me reconsider my stance on the Death Penalty as well. Maybe there could be a "Devil's Island" approach where the most notorious criminals would be sent to the middle of Alaska, where they could be no threat. No TV, no rec rooms. But yet there would still a chance for redress if there was a legal mistake. Once they're killed, there is no chance for that.
I'm not sure what you mean here. False results are producing exonerations?
Doesn't the prosecuting authority make the motion to dismiss charges in most states? I would think they would have to be convinced the evidence is beyond doubt.
Sure about that?
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, 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.
I'm not crazy about the government having the ultimate power over a person, however I wish these idiot bishops would do something we Catholics could actually respect. With abortions rampant, Terri Schiavo being legally forced to starve to death, and homosexuality running deep in their ranks, can't these guys find something better to do with their time?
Could not agree more with all you say. . .
Like the 'car analogy' also. . .works for me too.
Realize the DNA stats; but was thinking more of mistakes in the 'records or recording of; sharing data etc. . .when information is handled; mistakes are made; albeit much less opportunity with DNA info.
That said; I think the DP should never be eliminated; just saved for the extreme and heinous and horrible and unfair and unwarranted and whereby we know. . .beyond any doubt; that this person is guilty. . .ie the perp who murdered the Judge and 'others' in Atlanta. . .the perp who murdered little Jessica. . .
There are plenty of perps; who stand in Court without even the slightest justification; nor doubt offered. . .as to what went down and who is responsible.
We need to save the death penalty, for the best of them. . .
Zogby and the USCCB - just makes you tingly all over, doesn't it?
BTW, I saw His Eminence on CSPAN a few days ago. The faculty of Georgetown turned out to welcome His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan. So, the good Cardinal gave the Invocation: he referred to God, to be sure, but in perfectly Unitarian terms, not once even implying that there are three Persons in the Godhead, I suppose thus being most welcome to His Majesty, a Muslim. But then, Georgetown was one of the schools whose academic 'qualifications' for Catholic education was most responsible for Ex corde ecclesia.
In Christ,
Deacon Paul+
Well it happens. . .but yes, the legal system is careful as well, in that they never assume a person's 'innocence'; rather make only the determinatin of guilty/not guilty. . .
. . .and 'The Exorcist' . . .
Ted Bundy is the poster boy. He escaped custody twice. And when he escaped the second time, innocent people died needlessly. His life revolved around killing and he was tough to keep in custody.
Thankfully. I'm glad that the Vatican has done this. I feel like it is a slap in the face to have this in the headlines now when Terri is starving to death.
Why aren't the American bishops launching a campaign to save Terri first?
This does not compute with me.
Secondly, I could not personally pull the switch, be in a firing squad, trip the blade on the guillotine, give the shot, or participate in it.
So I guess that makes me against the death penalty. If I cannot do it myself, it is wrong to condone others doing the dirty work imo.
I would rather the priority go to saving innocent life rather than those of convicted criminals if push came to shove.
There can be no absolute guarantees when the criminal is in prison; and no doubt; not a perfect night's sleep for potential victims; revisited. .
and of course, there is always the threat of 'mudslides. . .tsunami's. . .earthquakes; hurricanes. . .that just might require evacuation and opportunities for the more determined and desperate.
Better safe. . .than sorry. . .
What about the death peanlty that is being forced on Terri Schiavo???????????
The Church now teaches that 2,000 years of teaching regarding this issue were wrong. Interersting.
But doesn't it say in the bible that God decreed that the punishment for murder was death, because of the great value He places on human life?
Or, don't Catholics read the bible?
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