Pope Francis has called for a year long moratorium on the death penalty:
Pope Francis, who has repeatedly called for an end to the death penalty, on Sunday proposed that Catholic leaders suspend the practice for a year to mark the Holy Year of Mercy.
“I make an appeal to the conscience of all rulers, so that we can achieve an international consensus for the abolition of the death penalty,” the Pope said in his Sunday address in St. Peter’s Square.
“And I propose to those among them who are Catholic to make a courageous and exemplary gesture: that no sentence is executed in this Holy Year of Mercy.”
The Pope launched the Jubilee Year of Mercy on December 8. The church’s formal yearlong push for mercy and forgiveness is set to continue through November 20, when the feast of Christ the King will be celebrated.
Go here to read the rest. Instead of asking for a moratorium on what the Catholic Church has always allowed, why isn’t he instead calling for a moratorium on abortions, which the Church has always condemned, during this Year of Mercy?
For those keeping track, the Pope misstated Catholic doctrine again:
“The commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ has absolute value and applies to both the innocent and the guilty,” he said on Sunday.
Council of Trent:
“The power of life and death is permitted to certain civil magistrates because theirs is the responsibility under law to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Far from being guilty of breaking this commandment [Thou shall not kill], such an execution of justice is precisely an act of obedience to it. For the purpose of the law is to protect and foster human life. This purpose is fulfilled when the legitimate authority of the State is exercised by taking the guilty lives of those who have taken innocent lives.
In the Psalms we find a vindication of this right: “Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all evildoers from the city of the Lord” (Ps. 101:8).”
(Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent, 1566, Part III, 5, n. 4)
“This purpose is fulfilled when the legitimate authority of the State is exercised by taking the guilty lives of those who have taken innocent lives.” C of T.
Imagine for a moment the millions of guilty women and men lined up for execution for committing the murder of innocent children.
Your neighbor.
Your cousin.
Your daughter.
Hummm.
Thank God for Jesus!
He decides who cut off from the City of the Lord. Thank God. He knows a repentant heart. Men? They know hearts like a cheap gypsy fortune teller.
“…a moratorium on what the Catholic Church has always allowed…”
Moreover, he is calling for a moratorium on what God, as revealed in Scripture, has always allowed.
Yes, but He doesn’t allow it. And, it’s his church anyway. At least that’s what any casual observer would conclude after listening to this man. God help us.
@Philip,
The quote defines penalty and not culpability. Men nor Church judges hearts. They judge behaviors, and levy the consequences of crimes committed.
What about a moratorium on the death penalty for pre-born babies?
“What about a moratorium on the death penalty for pre-born babies?”
Well, Pope Francis has told us we talk too much about abortion and not about other things that are equally important. So we can’t talk about abortion.
@Kyle Miller.
Good distinction.
Thank you.
How about a moratorium on left-wing idiocy from the Vatican and bishops conferences throughout the western. After all, THAT is the real Devil’s Dung.
He’s not asking for a moratorium on abortion because not committing abortion isn’t mercy, it’s justice. Mercy is granting someone more than they deserve, abortion
He can be forgiven the idealism of thinking that a Catholic that might listen to him would already not be killing babies.
“He’s not asking for a moratorium on abortion because not committing abortion isn’t mercy, it’s justice.”
I rather suspect he isn’t because he knows that his most ardent supporters would tell him to jump into Hell if he did. That, and because abortion simply is not an issue that is high on his priority list. It is significant that he mentioned his opposition to capital punishment when addressing Congress, but “abortion” never passed his lips.
I wonder why most left wing Catholics strongly oppose the death penalty but on abortion are not nearly as outspoken or are in fact in favor it. Is it perhaps to salve their consciences? But whatever the reason it is simply irrational.
Capital punishment involves a judgment of guilt. It should be available but rare.
The object of abortion is an innocent person who does have a right to life.
I hope I am a strong enough Catholic to survive the Papacy of Francis. This guy is a leftist “par excellence .” I guess he would have excused Osama bin Laden if we had captured him and then put him on trial and convicted him of murder of 300 people on 9/11….?? or Adolph Hitler? No death penalty for Hitler ? Hes really bad. God save us from Francis !!
Michael- I think it’s less to do with actually opposing or supporting either, it’s trying to be nice. People are loud and really, really nasty in their accusations against those who support capital punishment or oppose abortion.
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Dan Curry- not executing him is not the same as excusing.