Death penalty positions

[Anastasia13]

Has there ever been any kind of oficial position of the Catholic Church on the death penalty?

[Cam42]

[quote name='Light and Truth' date='Nov 25 2005, 06:01 PM']Has there ever been any kind of oficial position of the Catholic Church on the death penalty?
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Yes, it is this:

[quote name='CCC #2267']Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent."[/quote]

In summation, the Church doesn't oppose the death penalty, if it is the ONLY way of EFFECTIVELY defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If there are ways that are available to defend and protect people's safety, the authority will limit itself to such means. The reason being; it is more in keeping with the dignity of the human person.

In today's society, the authority has effective means to prevent crime, by rendering the offender incapable of doing harm, WITHOUT taking away the prossiblity of redemption.

The cases in which execution are ABOSLUTELY necessary are very rare, if not practically non-existent.

That is what the Church teaches. It is clear, it is concise and it is the most prudent view to hold; as a Roman Catholic.

[phatcatholic]

for more on the death penalty, see the following entry from the directory:

Capital Punishment
[url="http://www.phatmass.com/directory/index.php/cat_id/435"]http://www.phatmass.com/directory/index.php/cat_id/435[/url]