A Catholic Perspective on the Death Penalty
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The Use of the Death Penalty Jesus was a victim of the death penalty. In ancient times, authorities used the death penalty upon persons who were accused of threatening the political or religious status quo. Death penalty – Cruel and Unnecessary! The Catholic Church, always pro-life, has strongly condemned the death penalty. Our Church defends the sanctity of all lives, including the lives of those who have committed violent crimes. Our Church teaches that the death penalty is unnecessary in view of modern judicial procedures and penal institutions. Secure prisons and long terms of imprisonment (in Indiana, at least 45 years for murder) are sufficient to protect the innocent from those who are prone to violence. Death penalty Procedures – Flawed and Ineffective! In addition to the teachings of our faith, much practical evidence leads to a decision that the death penalty should be abolished. The death penalty system is fundamentally flawed and cannot be repaired. Fatal mistakes are made; innocent persons are convicted and sentenced to death. The system is extremely expensive, and does not work to deter violent crime. Many family members of murder victims don’t want the death penalty, stating that it “complicates grieving and interferes with healing.” Currently, our federal government and thirty-two states, including Indiana, have laws authorizing the death penalty.
Catholic Position on the Death Penalty From the Definitive English Edition of the Catechism of the Catholic nd Church, 2 Ed. 1997, Sec. 2267 (in part)
If… non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.
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Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm — without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself — the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity “are very rare, if not practically non-existent” (John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 56).
Calls for Abolition From Pope Francis: All Christians and people of goodwill are called today to fight …for the abolition of the death penalty, whether legal or illegal, in all of its forms… “To kill a murderer is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by a criminal.” (quoting Dostoyevsky)
From Pope Saint John Paul II: The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life: who will proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life in every situation. A “… from each sign of hope is the increasing person in regard recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken to all human away, even in the case of someone beings I will who has done great evil….I renew the appeal I made…for a consensus demand an to end the death penalty, which is accounting for both cruel and unnecessary. ---Pope John Paul II Papal Mass, St. human life.” Louis, Missouri, January 27, 1999 Genesis 9:5 4
From the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: When the state, in our names and with our taxes, ends a human life despite having non-lethal alternatives, it suggests that society can overcome violence with violence. The use of the death penalty ought to be abandoned not only for what it does to those who are executed, but for what it does to all of society. ---USCCB, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death, 2005 From Sharon Burns, Director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Evansville, IN: It’s not just about the logic of the mind, but about the wisdom of the heart. Jesus tells us that the worker who enters the field late in the day receives the same pay as those who entered first. Likewise, the sinner who transforms her heart with a final breath may be invited to share in the Kingdom of God. We must be life-giving, not life-taking. God’s will be done, not ours. From the Sisters of Providence, St. Mary of the Woods, IN: We believe that actions have consequences and that serious actions demand serious consequences. However, killing to show that killing is wrong is never an appropriate action…..As long as there is life, there is a possibility for change on the part of human beings….Our experience tells us that revenge only eats away at society and ultimately is a destructive act. From Sister Helen Prejean: While it is a great thing that Pope John Paul II and the U.S. Catholic Bishops have declared clear opposition to the death penalty, statements of leaders alone are not enough to change hearts…Where are you? What side are you on? Are you for life or are you for death? Are you for compassion or are you for vengeance? There is no way you can take the death penalty and call it anything else other than an act of legalized vengeance or “distilled hatred”. ---Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., author of Dead Man Walking 5
Death Penalty Procedures Are Fundamentally Unfair (From Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org)
When innocent people are executed, the mistake cannot be remedied. Since 1973, 152 innocent people on death row have been exonerated (as of April 3, 2015). The death penalty system, like any human system, is prone to error, which cannot be remedied once an execution has taken place. Since 1989, investigations after at least 10 executions have shown strong evidence of innocence. (In most cases there are no investigations after executions.) The death penalty is barbaric. “Should you not The death penalty causes severe also have had physical and mental suffering in itself. In addition, since 1972, mercy, in the over 45 well-known “botched” same way that I executions have occurred, with unplanned but appalling results. had mercy on The death penalty system is you?” economically biased against the poor and vulnerable. Who gets Matthew 18:33 the death penalty? The poor! In many states, court-appointed attorneys for the poor are overworked or lacking experience in criminal cases. The wealthy, who can afford private attorneys, do not receive death sentences and often do not even face a death penalty request by the prosecution. The death penalty system is racist. Defendants are much more likely to receive the death penalty if they are black and/or if their victims are white. Jury-selection procedures are fundamentally unfair. Prosecutors exclude potential jurors who cannot in good
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conscience vote for the death penalty. The resulting jury does not represent the population as a whole, and is skewed in favor of the death penalty. Persons with severe mental illness are being executed. Persons with illnesses such as paranoid schizophrenia, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and depression are not exempt from execution. Arbitrary factors determine who lives and who dies under our death penalty laws. The death penalty is imposed unevenly and not necessarily upon those who commit the worst crimes. Arbitrary factors such as media coverage, the particular county’s budget, and the views and experience of the prosecutor continue to determine which defendants will be sentenced to death.
The Death Penalty Is Unnecessary, Expensive, and Does Not Prevent Violent Crime (From Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org, Indiana Abolition Coalition, www.indianaabolition.org, and Indiana Public Defender Council, www.in.gov/ipdc )
The death penalty is unnecessary to protect society. Secure prisons and long mandatory terms of imprisonment (in Indiana, at least 45 years for murder) serve to protect society and are morally preferable to the death penalty. The death penalty system is far more expensive than a system in which the maximum sentence is imprisonment rather than death. Personnel of our federal, state, and local governments spend much more time and taxpayer funds preparing and reviewing a case in which a life is at stake. In addition, extra funds spent on an Indiana case due to a death penalty request are usually wasted, in that very few death penalty cases result in an execution.
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Thirty years of research have found no evidence that the death penalty prevents violent crime. Eighty-eight per cent of the nation’s top criminologists are convinced that the death penalty does not deter persons from committing violent crime. Our nation’s police chiefs rank the death penalty last in their priorities for reducing violent crime. The police chiefs do not believe that the death penalty is a deterrent to violent crime. In a 2009 national poll of 500 police chiefs, the chiefs ranked items such as hiring more police officers, job creation, and drug abuse programs as much more effective than the death penalty for preventing violent crime.
The United States Stands Alone The United States is virtually the only country in the Western democratic world that has not abolished capital punishment. Over 70% of the world’s countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. (Amnesty International, USA)
Is Change Possible? (From Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org)
The death penalty is in decline. In 2014, 35 persons were executed in the United States, the lowest number in twenty years. In 2014, 72 persons were sentenced to death, the lowest number in 40 years. Eighteen states are currently without capital “You shall not punishment. In addition, four governors have recently imposed kill.” moratoriums on executions. People Exodus 20:13 are recognizing that the death penalty does not work.
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Call to Respond Pray. By incorporating the death penalty issue into your daily prayer, it becomes an integral part of your life. Inform yourself. Learn as much as you can from the media, websites, and other resources. See the film Dead Man Walking. Sign a Declaration of Life Statement. (http://catholicsmobilizing.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/02/Declarat ion_of_Life.pdf) This document attests that if the person signing the document is ever murdered, regardless of the degree of violence, he or she still opposes the death penalty and opposes the perpetrator’s execution.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Matthew 5:7
Write letters to your state’s legislators. An original letter from a voter speaks volumes. Take a few minutes to write a letter to those in state government to let them know your position and how you vote. (See “Points to consider…, p. 11.) Join grassroots lobbying efforts at the state level. Citizen lobbyists regularly visit legislators and express their concerns. These lobbying efforts have the potential for impacting legislation. Educate people in your parish or community about Catholic social teaching and the death penalty. Visit catholicsmobilizing.org for instructional materials for all ages, information regarding death penalty and restorative justice workshops, liturgical resources, a list of speakers, and materials in Spanish. The site also provides information on the Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project, which is a theatre project based upon Sister Helen Prejean’s book, Dead Man Walking.
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Resources www.usccb.org (U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) catholicsmobilizing.org (Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty) www.indianaabolition.org (Indiana Abolition Coalition) www.deathpenaltyinfo.org (Death Penalty Information Center) www.in.gov/ipdc (Indiana Public Defender Council) www.indianacc.org (Indiana Catholic Conference) http://www.ncadp.org (National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty) www.deathpenalty.org (Death Penalty Focus…Working for Alternatives to the Death Penalty) www.abolition.org (The Abolitionist Action Committee) ejusa.org (Equal Justice USA) conservativesconcerned.org (Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty) www.mvfr.org (Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation) www.sisterhelen.org (SISTER HELEN PREJEAN Ministry against the Death Penalty - Sign up for Sister Helen Prejean’s newsletter.) DVD, The Exonerated, available at amazon.com. (The story of six individuals on death row later found to be innocent) “Interview with an Executioner”--YouTube–a powerful video by Amnesty International--about 13 minutes long. (Access by typing the title of the video into your browser.) spsmw.org (Sisters of Providence)
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Points to consider when writing to legislators and others 1. State your point briefly. Cite a specific case if applicable. 2. Give the reason for your concern, for example:
the sacredness of human life;
the barbarity of the death penalty, as well as the chance of “botched” executions causing unnecessary pain and suffering;
that innocent people have probably been executed;
racial/economic discrimination in the death penalty system;
that the death penalty is unnecessary due to availability of long mandatory incarceration in secure prisons; that the death penalty system is much more costly than a system in which death is not an available penalty;
that the death penalty cannot be considered a deterrent to violent crime;
that the death penalty is not favored by many relatives of murder victims.
3. Request the legislator to sponsor or support legislation against the death penalty or work for a moratorium. Mailing address for senators:
Mailing address for representatives:
(Name of senator)
(Name of representative)
IN State Senate
IN House of Representatives
200 W. Washington Street
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Indianapolis, IN 46204
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Jesus was a victim of the Death Penalty
A Prayer to Abolish the Death Penalty By Helen Prejean, CSJ God of Compassion, You let your rain fall on the just and the unjust. Expand and deepen our hearts So that we may love as You love, Even those among us Who have caused the greatest pain by taking life. For there is in our land a great cry to vengeance As we fill up death rows and kill the killers In the name of justice, in the name of peace. Jesus, our brother, You suffered execution at the hands of the state But you did not let hatred overcome you. Help us to reach out to victims of violence So that our enduring love may help them heal. Holy Spirit of God, You strengthen us in the struggle for justice. Help us to work tirelessly For the abolition of state-sanctioned death and to renew our society in its very heart So that violence will be no more. Amen
This brochure is available free as a PDF download from: Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville, IN – www.charitiesevv.org The Message Online – www.themessageonline.org
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