杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

Writing 鈥渁s the personal representative鈥� of 杏MAP导航 Francis and 鈥渋n the Holy Father鈥檚 name", the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, has asked Missouri governor Michael Parson 鈥渢o halt the planned execution鈥� of Ernest Johnson 鈥渁nd grant him some appropriate form of clemency.鈥�

Ernest Johnson murdered three people at a convenience store in Columbia, Missouri, in 1994 during a botched robbery. Johnson was sentenced to death for a third time in 2006, after two previous death sentences had been overturned on appeal.

Earlier this week, the Missouri Supreme Court rejected Johnson鈥檚 argument that he was ineligible for the death penalty because he is intellectually disabled. The Court likewise rejected Johnson鈥檚 request that the sentence be carried out by firing squad rather than lethal injection 鈥� Johnson had argued that the drug used in executions would cause painful seizures.

In his letter, Archbishop Pierre says the appeal for clemency is not based 鈥渙n the facts and circumstances of his crimes,鈥� asking rhetorically, 鈥淲ho could not argue that grave crimes such as his deserve grave punishments?鈥�

Nor, he adds, is the plea 鈥渂ased solely upon Mr Johnson鈥檚 doubtful intellectual capacity.鈥�

Instead, Archbishop Pierre writes, 鈥淗is Holiness wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr Johnson鈥檚 humanity and the sacredness of all human life.鈥�

The Nuncio invites Governor Parson to consider that, 鈥渨hen all violence of all types is restrained, even the violence of legal execution, all of society benefits.鈥� And he recalls 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� warning, in Fratelli tutti, not to allow 鈥渢he atrocity of their crimes to feed a desire for vengeance鈥� but to seek instead to heal the wounds that have been inflicted.

Noting Missouri鈥檚 鈥渃ourageous stands in support of the dignity of life鈥� 鈥� for which he expresses gratitude 鈥� Archbishop Pierre says that rejecting the death penalty in this case 鈥渨ould be an equally courageous recognition of the inalienable dignity of all human life.鈥� He again quotes 杏MAP导航 Francis, who has observed that 鈥渋f I do not deny the dignity of the worst criminals, I will not deny human dignity to anyone.鈥�

Archbishop Pierre adds, 鈥淚s not a universal recognition of our sacred human dignity the best possible defense for society against the war and violence in our world?鈥�

Ernest Johnson is currently scheduled to be executed on Tuesday, 5 October, at 6 p.m. local time.