Pope Francis recently revised the Catechism of Catholic Church with regard to the issue of capital punishment. In direct opposition to 2000 years of doctrinal teaching, he’s suddenly come to the conclusion that ~
“(T)he death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”
I’m pretty sure Francis didn’t run this one by God, since He had this to say on the matter, way back in Genesis ~
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed:
for in the image of God made He man.” ~ Genesis 9:6
It’s called accountability. Why should the perpetrator of a viscous, cold-blooded murder get to keep his life after callously taking that of another? Not executing him cheapens the life that he took ~
[Video via PragerU, an organization that presents rational opinions on various issues in a thought-proving, reasonable fashion. For some unfathomable reason, the YouTube thought police have decided this is one of the PragerU videos that should be “restricted.” So even though the death penalty is allowed in 31 states, supporting capital punishment is somehow controversial?]
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In the wake of the pope’s misguided proclamation, a couple sources have interviewed Prof. Edward Feser, co-author of By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment. He had this to say on the subject to LifeSite News ~
Scripture is very clear that one can lose the right to life through murder; there is a difference between protecting the right to life of the innocent and that of the guilty, just as there is a difference between unjustly depriving the innocent of their freedom and justly locking up the guilty in prison […]
Killing in self-defense or killing a vicious murderer has absolutely no relationship to this prohibition of intentionally killing the innocent (abortion), and the Church has always understood and taught this.
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Related:
75 clergy, scholars appeal to Cardinals: Urge Francis to ‘withdraw’ death penalty teaching ~
The petition does not insist that capital punishment must always be used in practice for the worst crimes, since this is a matter which Catholics may freely debate. Rather, it insists on the legitimacy of the death penalty in principle, as consistent with sacred scripture and the constant magisterium of the Church for over 2,000 years.
