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To: annalex
Yes, like in any justice system, the purpose of punishment is for the public good.

Then I guess Rome is all for Capital Punishment?

Or Rehabilitation?

3,035 posted on 12/29/2012 9:37:20 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie
Rome is all for Capital Punishment?

Good question. At this point we are not; however Catholic teaching is that capital punishment is appropriate when the conviction is sure and there is no other secure way to prevent future crime. We believe that in the modern justice system there are ways to isolate criminals who cannot be rehabilitated for life; and, on the other hand, there are serious doubts in the precision of convictions (innocents now and then get on the death row). Therefore today we are against capital punishment in developed countries. But it is what we call prudential judgment, which takes into account concrete circumstance. There is no Catholic case against capital punishment in principle. Contrast that with our view on abortion or homosexual "marriage": these are wrong intrinsically and not merely prudentially.

3,137 posted on 12/29/2012 5:39:00 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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