A Culture of life and the Death Penalty

A Statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

In the Bishops’ statement, it says our nation should forgo the use of the death penalty because:

• The sanction of death, when it is not necessary to protect society, violates respect for human life and dignity.
• State-sanctioned killing in our names diminishes all of us.
• Its application is deeply flawed and can be irreversibly wrong, is prone to errors, and is biased by factors such as race, the quality of legal representation, and where the crime was committed.
• We have other ways to punish criminals and protect society.
• No act, even an execution, can bring back a loved one or heal terrible wounds.
• The pain and loss of one death cannot be wiped away by another death.

Each of us is called to respect the life and dignity of every human being. Even when people deny the dignity of others, we must still recognize that their dignity is a gift from God and is not something that is earned or lost through their behavior.

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 sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. Modern society in fact has the means of effectively suppressing crime by rendering criminals harmless without definitively denying them the chance to reform. (Pope John Paul II. The Gospel of Life)

At a time when the sanctity of life is threatened in many ways, taking life is not really a solution but may instead effectively undermine respect for life...Public policies that treat some lives as unworthy of protection, or that are perceived as vengeful, fracture the moral conviction that human life is sacred. (USCCB)

Pending Executions for the State of Texas

Kevin Watts; October 16

Joseph Ries; October 21

Bobby Woods; October 23

Eric Nenno; October 28

Gregory Wright; October 30

We pray for all the victims of these crimes, the convicted killers, and their families, that they may find mercy, healing, forgiveness, and peace. Amen.