Pope blunder and death penalty
We oppose abotion in principle, we oppose euthenasia in principle, We oppose "gay marrige" in principle. But the Church has always upheld the death penalty in principle. Yet the Pope opposes the death penalty!! I know that he does this because of other considerations. He considers our modern situations. But it appeares that he is opposing the death penalty in priciple too, just like the other things. Thus he playes into the liberals hands. He looks liberal on this point. And, in fact, he makes many believe that the Church has changed it's mind on this. Do you think that this was a blunder?? Is he not awheare of the situation?
QUESTION from KEV on August 13, 2003
ANSWER by Staff on August 19, 2003
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Dear Kev: The Pope has made no blunder, but there are many errors in your question. We do not oppose abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual marriage "on principle". We oppose those things because GOD opposes those thing in FACT, not merely on principle. Abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual marriage are abominations to God. There severely disordered according to Natural Law and Divine Law. There are not mere "principles" but directive of God written in stone and cannot be changed by man -- ever. God does not oppose protecting oneself. The Church has always maintained that we have a right to protect ourselves and our families, and indeed in some circumstances have a moral obligation to protect ourselves and our families EVEN IF that protection ends in killing the attacker. We do not seek to purposely kill the attacker, but to protect ourselves and our families which, in some cases, may result in killing the attacker as we do what we need to do to protect ourselves. In equal measure, just as the individual has a right to protect himself from an attacker, so society has a right and a God-given moral obligation to protect it citizens from those who would harm. Thus the Church teaches that the death penalty may be needed in some circumstances to fulfill a government's moral obligation to protect its citizen IF:
1) the death penalty is not used as revenge This is Church teaching. The Pope, added to that his opinion that societies like the United States are in the position to be able to protect citizens from dangerous criminals without the death penalty. We have the ability to incarcerate capital criminals and to keep them in prison for life. Thus there is no need for the death penalty since the death penalty is suppose to be only a last resort when no other method works. We must respect all life, even the life of the murderer. That life should not be taken except as a last resort then there is no other means to protect society from that murderer. By the way, the death penalty CANNOT be equated with abortion, for example. Abortion involves killing a totally innocent person, euthanasia is killing a sick person. The death penalty does not intend to kill innocent babies or adults or the ill. It kills a dangerous and guilty person who has violated God's law and endangers society so badly as to require his death to protect society. Yes, innocent people are killed by the death penalty. That is another reason why the death penalty should not be used as it is today in the United States -- because the system is flawed and too many people are killed who are innocent. In the 1990's for example, more then 50 people on death row were PROVEN to be innocent. Such a flawed system cannot justify the death penalty. The Pope does not have a liberal bone in his body. The Church's position and the Pope's position is that based on solid and ancient theology, not on the political whims of our age.
God Bless, |