杏MAP导航

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

杏MAP导航 Francis received in audience members of the International Commission against the Death Penalty on Monday. In prepared remarks which were given to members of the Commission, 杏MAP导航 Francis begged countries still applying the death penalty to 鈥渁dopt a moratorium鈥�.

Every life is sacred

Since the beginning of his ministry, 杏MAP导航 Francis told Commission members, the truth that 鈥渆very life is sacred鈥� had convinced him to commit himself to abolishing the death penalty at the international level. This commitment became concrete, the 杏MAP导航 said, with the recent change of paragraph 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He said Church teaching now reflects 鈥渢he doctrine of the latest Pontiffs as well as the change in the conscience of Christians who reject a penalty that seriously harms human dignity鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Francis reiterated that the doctrine accepting the death penalty came from a 鈥減eriod that was more legalistic than Christian鈥� which 鈥渋gnored the primacy of mercy over justice鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 affirmed the Church鈥檚 current teaching that 鈥渋n the light of the Gospel, the death penalty is always inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person鈥�.

Moral rehabilitation

At the same time, an ongoing prison sentence that does not allow the moral rehabilitation of the person and his or her reinsertion into the community is a 鈥渉idden death鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis said. No one can be deprived either of life, or the hope of 鈥渞edemption and reconciliation鈥�, he said.

Obligation of nations

The Church鈥檚 commitment to opposing the death penalty needs to be equalled by the international community, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued. The sovereign right of nations to determine their legal systems cannot be in contradiction with international law or 鈥渢he universal recognition of human dignity, the 杏MAP导航 said. He also praised the UN鈥檚 resolution encouraging that member nations 鈥渟uspend the application of the death penalty鈥�.

Direct appeal to nations

杏MAP导航 Francis then made a direct appeal to countries who have not yet abolished the death penalty. To those countries where the death penalty is legal but not applied, he asked that they continue applying the moratorium not only by not carrying out death sentences, but by not imposing death sentences in the first place. 鈥淭he moratorium鈥�, he said, 鈥渃annot be lived by the person condemned to death as a mere prolongation鈥� of the time until the execution of the sentence. To the countries still applying the death penalty, the 杏MAP导航 begged them to 鈥� adopt a moratorium in view of abolishing this cruel form of punishment.鈥�

Ethic of caring

Society has developed its penal culture around the concept of injury caused to another or to their rights. 鈥淟ess attention has been paid to the omission of doing good to others鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said. The traditional approach to justice 鈥渕ust be complemented with an ethic of caring鈥�. Such an ethic would consider 鈥渃auses of behaviour, the social context, the situation of vulnerable offenders of the law, and the suffering of the victims鈥�. Reasoning in this way is guided by divine mercy and takes each specific case into account. In the end, 鈥渨e need a style of justice that besides being a father, is also a mother鈥�. This ethic of reciprocal care for one another is the basis for a loving society in which people are committed to the common good, 杏MAP导航 Francis said.

Commitment to abolition of death penalty

Returning to the theme of the abolition of the death penalty, 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� prepared remarks concluded with a declaration that both the Church and the Holy See desire 鈥渢o collaborate with the International Commission against the Death Penalty in building the necessary consensus to eradicate capital punishment and every form of cruel punishment. 鈥淚t is a cause鈥�, he said, 鈥渢hat all men and women of good will are called to and it is a duty for those of us who share the Christian vocation of Baptism鈥�.