Dear Linda:

A crime that might warrant the death penalty is NOT a crime that one can be paroled or have sentenced reduced. If one is truly guilty of a capital crime then they will spend the rest of their life in prison. Also the changes of escape of a capital criminal is almost zero.

There is no major country in the "first" world where the death penalty is needed. There are sufficient means to protect the public through incarceration in maximum security prisons.

The Catholic teaching is that if there is not sufficient means to protect the public then the death penalty is permissible IF it is applied fairly, with due process, done as a last resort and WITHOUT a motivation of revenge, and done as "humanely" as possible in its method.

The Pope and the US Bishops have both said that countries like the United States have little to no justification for the death penalty. In addition to having sufficient means to protect the public without applying the death penalty is the issue of putting to death innocent persons. Such a thing cannot be tolerated.

In the 1990's alone there were over 54 people on death row who were proven innocent and released. The issue of the innocent being put to death is not an isolated or rare thing. It happens and it can happen a lot. That alone is reason to not apply the death penalty until such time as further guarantees can be applied to protect the innocent.

There is no such thing as a crime so bad that we MUST inflict the death penalty. That rationale is one of vengeance, which as we know, belongs only to God.

The only legitimate use of the death penalty is not revenge or vengeance, or even punishment, it is to protect society. Therefore the only question is whether or not there is sufficient means to protect society without the death penalty.

The answer to that statistically is no, there is not justification for the death penalty. The public can be protected from capital murderers without the use of the death penalty. This is an observable fact.

Taking that fact and adding to it the fact that the death penalty is not fairly applied and that our current system cannot guarantee that the person is actually guilty, I do not know how anyone can justify its use.

With that said, the opinion of the American Bishops and the opinion of the Pope is not binding. Thus one can disagree on this subject of whether the death penalty is needed or not.

But if one is to disagree they better be ready to defend their opinion against the overwhelming facts and logic that suggest the lack of need for the death penalty.

Bottomline: The opinion of the Pope needs to be respected on this, but one does not have to agree. If one is to not agree, then do so with respect and also do so with reasoned thought and justification. Reasons "to punish" or to seek "vengeance" are invalid on their face.

Nevertheless, if your opinion differs from the Pope on this, you are not sinning.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary