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Hi Heather —
Thanks for the e-mail.
I want to make three points and a
comment.
First, thank-you for your e-mail.
I want you to know that the apologists
on this web site are loyal
to the Magisterium and Her teachings.
We are also open to correction when
we say something you believe is incompatible
with Roman Catholic Teachings that
have passed down through Jesus' Church.
Second, on the issue of Abortion
vs. The Death Penalty, I thought
Alan Keyes gave an excellent explanation
about the difference.
- In one, abortion, innocent life is
being taken.
- In the other, theoretically, guilty
life is being taken.
Why do I say theoretically? Because
mistakes can be made, since our justice
system is made up of a jury of sinful
peers. Governors, no matter how religious
they are, can also make mistakes
as well. I will agree with you there.
I do want to direct your attention
to the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, paragraph CCC 2267:
2267. "The
traditional teaching of the Church
does not exclude, presupposing
full ascertainment of the identity
and responsibility of the offender,
recourse to the death penalty,
when this is the only practicable
way to defend the lives of human
beings effectively against the
aggressor. 'If, instead, bloodless
means are sufficient to defend
against the aggressor and to protect
the safety of persons, public
authority should limit itself
to such means, because they better
correspond to the concrete conditions
of the common good and are more
in conformity to the dignity of
the human person. 'Today, in fact,
given the means at the State's
disposal to effectively repress
crime by rendering inoffensive
the one who has committed it,
without depriving him definitively
of the possibility of redeeming
himself, cases of absolute necessity
for suppression of the offender
'today ... are very rare, if not
practically non-existent.'
The Holy Father has restated this
position in the first portion of
the first sentence from the paragraph
above but he has also warned America specifically of
the immoral, needless use of the
Death Penalty.
Nevertheless, this is a Catholic
position that Catholics are allowed
to hold. The important thing here
Heather is the context of what the
CCC is saying and what the Holy Father
has warned against.
I agree with you that needless killing,
even of a guilty person, is incorrect
but I cannot deny that Catholics are
allowed to believe in the use
of the Death Penalty in Catholic
teaching when this appears in the
Catechism:
CCC 2267 "when this is the
only practicable way to defend
the lives of human beings
effectively against the aggressor"
I hope you will allow me to hold
this Catholic view from the Church's
Catechism.
Third, I thought it was enlightening
when Alan made reference to Jesus'
opinion of the death penalty. What!
Jesus had a view on the death penalty!!
Let's go back to when Our Blessed
Lord and Savior was before Pilate:
John 19:10-11
[Pilate:]
10 Do you not know that I have
power to release you, and power
to crucify you?"
11 Jesus answered him,
"You would have no power
over me unless it had been given
you from above;
therefore he who delivered me
to you has the greater sin."
The only thing I want to point out
here Heather, is that Our Lord is "Sourcing
the authority for the death penalty as
from the Father above ".
Jesus could have said, "You
have no authority to kill Pilate,
killing is wrong."
My comment:
Let's compare the candidates:
Governor Bush:
I will sign a bill to ban Partial
Birth Abortions and make it law.
Al Gore:
I will protect a woman's right
to choose to kill the fetus she
has conceived in her womb and
given birth to.
- Which position do you think is
more Catholic?
- Which position do you think is
Pro-Life?
Pro-choice is NO CHOICE for
the living baby.
"Liberated women" say,
"It's my body! What right
does any Church or any group of
religious MEN have to tell me
what I can do with my body!"
My reply: Who gave
you that loony idea?
- the Democratic party?
- Planned Parenthood?
- Dr. Drew?
OK, if it is "your body",
then step out in front of oncoming
traffic with cars going over 70 miles
per hour, and bring yourself back
to life.
- Why won't these "liberated
women" do that?
Because they know, based on the natural
law that is written on everyone's
soul, that it is not their own body. If
it were their own body, after being
killed by the oncoming vehicles,
they would be able to raise their
body from death as Jesus did.
No man or woman owns their bodies.
Our bodies were created by God to
make holy choices, not destructive
choices.
Shalom back,
Your brother in prayer, your brother
in Christ,
Mike Humphrey
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