Posted on 03/20/2015 1:12:26 PM PDT by ebb tide
Capital punishment is cruel, inhuman and an offense to the dignity of human life. In today's world, the death penalty is "inadmissible, however serious the crime" that has been committed. That was Pope Francis’ unequivocal message to members of the International Commission against the death penalty who met with him on Friday morning in the Vatican.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s report:
In a lengthy letter written in Spanish and addressed to the president of the International Commission against the death penalty, Pope Francis thanks those who work tirelessly for a universal moratorium, with the goal of abolishing the use of capital punishment in countries right across the globe.
Pope Francis makes clear that justice can never be done by killing another human being and he stresses there can be no humane way of carrying out a death sentence. For Christians, he says, all life is sacred because every one of us is created by God, who does not want to punish one murder with another, but rather wishes to see the murderer repent. Even murderers, he went on, do not lose their human dignity and God himself is the guarantor.
Capital punishment, Pope Francis says, is the opposite of divine mercy, which should be the model for our man-made legal systems. Death sentences, he insists, imply cruel and degrading treatment, as well as the torturous anguish of a lengthy waiting period before the execution, which often leads to sickness or insanity.
The Pope also condemns the use of the death penalty by “totalitarian regimes” or “fanatical groups” who seek to exterminate “political prisoners”, “minorities”, or anyone seen as a threat to political power and ambitions.
But he makes quite clear that the use of capital punishment signifies “a failure” on the part of any State. However serious the crime, he says, an execution “does not bring justice to the victims, but rather encourages revenge” and denies any hope of repentence or reparation for the crime that has been committed.
I posted this on another thread a week or so ago. This is a very good article about the anti-death penalty movement and Traditional Catholic teaching on the DP:
https://harvestingthefruit.com/deathpenalty/
Not for Catholics faithful to Traditional Catholic teaching that’s for sure.
You CAN judge their earthly misdeeds. Only a suicidal people does not.
..except in the United States where it is maybe the end of a twenty year sentence spent in jail, not used for political purposes, and as often as not, overturned for one reason or another, with plenty of time for repentance.
Then again, I sincerely think that the Pope wasn’t talking about the US death sentences.
No saved man would think of taking the job.
What a moron. He is equating 'murder' with 'justice'. The murderer is executed for the sake of "JUSTICE". This Pope is anathema.
Exodus 20:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 Thou shalt not kill.
Should have been translated “Thou shalt not MURDER.”
He should take that up with his Boss.
What about the victims? It seems that no one cares about them.
Simple solution: Give a fixed two-week period between conviction and execution with the full availability of a Catholic priest during that period.
His ‘boss’ is not who you think it is.
Is not who it is supposed to be.
None of Hitler’s henchmen deserved to be hanged? None of the Boka Haram murdering and raping children deserve death? None of the filthy ISIS beheaders deserve death? The Newtown shooter would have not deserved death? What about the Columbine killers? What about the Tsarnaev’s of Boston Marathon bombing fame?
If you value the lives of people, you should approve of a death sentence for those who unjustly and cruelly take the lives of others.
Those murderers and rapists showed no mercy so what’s your point??
The death penalty affirms the sanctity of innocent lives.
Numbers 35 goes into great detail about dealing with murderers.
Agreed, his words support your assessment.
Pope Cloward-Piven.
"For they are God's servants, working for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong." - Romans 13:4
6“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” (Genesis 9)
Notice that the man (or animal) that sheds the blood of a man is not killed for punishment or revenge, but out of a reverence for the image of God! This is totally different than our current concept of Capital Punishment. The way it is worded is almost sacramental. This is an incredible statement about the value of man in God’s eye. Man is seen as the image of God and as holy (or at least with the potential for holiness), and taking this life has ultimate consequences. A man’s own blood is the atonement for the man he has killed.
The Pope imagines himself more up to date and civilized than God. Hmmm.
Why is it more compassionate to keep a murderer in a cage for 50 years until his heart stops beating?? At great expense to the community.
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