(Applying one’s faith is an on-going Christian task. There will be an on-going presentation of Catholic teachings and issues on this page.)

 

The Catholic Church and The Death Penalty The issue of the execution of Wilford Berry has challenged many good people to wrestle with the appropriate Christian response to Ohio’s use of the death penalty. Often in pain, and frequently in confusion, people have told me that they just don’t know how they should feel. I hope to add a few words about why the Catholic Church opposes the use of execution. First of all, I don’t want to get caught in an “either-or” mentality that says one either wants to execute or one is”soft” on crime. Nor does it do any good to create two factions: those who support the criminals versus those who rally to the concerns of the victims’ families. I have known family members of persons brutally killed and I have felt their pain. At the same time, I do not believe taking another life will ultimately help them or anyone else.

The primary reason for opposing the death penalty is a strong respect for human life, a respect that includes all from the unborn to the elderly. The United States Bishops have used the image of the “seamless garment” to express the type of pro-life position we hold. Certainly there is a difference between the pure innocence of an unborn child and the convicted guilt of a criminal who has barbarically killed someone. No doubt about it. But Jesus seems to have respected all life and was especially willing to go out of his way for the not-so-innocent. The story of the woman being stoned (executed) for her adultery comes to mind. Secondly, in our country there are already enough factors causing the erosion of the value of life. Capital punishment would further that erosion. It is not just about he person being put to death; it is about all of us.

Planning to systematically and in a pre-meditated way to kill someone in the name of society hurts that society. It allows, and causes, all people to sink to the lowest level of behavior. It fosters an attitude that wants to get even, employs violence to solve problems, and recommends being vindictive. Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, The Gospel of Life, has written that although society has a right to protect itself, it is rare — if ever — that it would have to employ killing someone for that purpose.

Frequently, people jump to the conclusion that those who oppose the death penalty do not care if these criminals are returned to the streets. That is far from the truth. There are many whose presence in this community would cause great problems. Since the summer of 1996, Ohio juries have had the option of recommending a “life without parole” sentence as an alternative to death. Killing someone is not the only way of preventing that person from possibly being put back into society. A final reason to oppose the death penalty is the inequity of the way it is granted. You find no “O.J.” types on death row! Those with money or connections usually find ways not to end up with the death sentence. There is a clearly disproportionate number of minorities and poor people who have not had the help of skilled defense lawyers.

A Catholic Christian faith in action takes the question of the Death Penalty very seriously and tries hard to go beyond the rhetoric of the day. H.W.