CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Pope Francis vs. the Catholic Church

RTV's 'Sunday Sermons from South St. Paul' blows the lid off Pope Francis's attempt to change the constant teaching of the Catholic Church on capital punishment. In what surely must be one of the most courageous sermons of 2018, this diocesan priest takes the gloves off and asks:

"What's it going to be? The constant teaching established by Scripture, doctors and fathers of the Church, sainted popes and God Himself? Or that which rests on the whim of Pope Francis, who seems to think the Catholic Church’s binding teaching is whatever his opinion happens to be."

God help us, what is this man thinking, that in the middle of the most outrageous clerical sex scandal to date he decides it’s time to go after capital punishment...

Converts to the prevailing conciliar religion and its “New Pentecost” would in fact argue in this wise, perhaps citing the Council’s famous declaration in Gaudium et Spes that, “Thanks to the experience of past ages ...the nature of man himself is more clearly revealed and new roads to truth are opened,” and the world now has “a keener awareness of human dignity”

How much dignity can a murder have?

If a gang-banger shoots a 10-year-old girl in the head does he still posses human dignity?

I would argue no.

He may regain that human dignity if he confesses his crime, repents his sin and gives up his life to God by surrendering to his rightful execution.

He is more likely to do this when the date of his execution is certain.

As is said in the article

Not even God completely obliterates a human existence, not even for the most odious sins, for He made the human soul immortal and hell eternal. (It might be argued, however, that if the criminal is thought to have to have totally terminated his victim, why not do the same to him?) In the days of Christendom, condemned criminals were given every opportunity to make their peace with God, in many cases the date of execution being delayed in order to accomplish this purpose. Justice was served, but not at the expense of charity, and there was no question of taking vengeance on the culprit. Nor was the idea of “rehabilitation” with possible re-entry into society ever entertained where crimes deserving death were concerned. It has been noted by prison chaplains in our century that swift execution in most cases leads to admission of guilt and sincere repentance, whereas those who receive life sentences or suffer long delays are likely to maintain their innocence in hopes of a parole and eventually die in their sins.

In light of the existence of the immortal soul and the certainty of divine judgment it is better for the criminal in the long run that the death penalty be swift and certain.

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