Did this archbishop go too far on the death penalty?

[opusaug]

The Sunday bulletin at my parish had a section from the diocesan Respect Life department that referred to Archbishop Thomas Wenski’s homily during his installation Mass as the new ordinary for nearby Miami. Just to be sure, I checked the transcript at the Miami archdiocesan web site, which quotes him as saying:

Even criminals – for all the horror of their crimes – do not lose their God-given dignity as human beings. They too must be treated with respect, even in their punishment. This is why Catholic social teaching condemns torture and advocates for the abolition of the death penalty. (my emphasis)

I am a faithful Catholic who is prayerfully trying to respect the teaching of our bishops on this, but it’s hard to submit when some seem to suggest I don’t have a choice in the matter. From what I’ve learned from Catholic Answers, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Holy Father both seem to say it’s possible to disagree on this question. How am I supposed to be obedient to just authority when it seems that authority is not respecting Truth?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

How am I supposed to be obedient to just authority when it seems that authority is not respecting Truth?

By giving just authority the benefit of the doubt and not presuming “that authority is not respecting Truth.”

Archbishop Wenski’s remarks on the death penalty appear to be a brief, passing example in a larger discussion of respecting the dignity of the human person. His main point is that “no man is a problem,” and he gives examples illustrating that point and concluding that “when we see another human being as a problem, we often give ourselves permission to look for expedient but not just solutions. The tragic history of the 20th century shows that thinking like this even leads to ‘final solutions.’” This is a very powerful point that is lost if we nitpick over minor quibbles in phrasing.

As for the remarks on the death penalty, Archbishop Wenski did not say “the Catholic Church” or “the Holy Father” or “all Catholics must” advocate for abolition of capital punishment. He said “Catholic social teaching,” which is a broad spectrum of teachings by Catholics in various states of life, not all clerical, and not all of which rise to the level of magisterial authority. It should also be understood that while the Church acknowledges that the state has the right to impose the death penalty under certain narrow circumstances, that does not prevent Catholics from prevailing upon the state to reconsider the wisdom of doing so or from urging that the state consider imposing a moratorium on the death penalty upon itself.

The point here is that Catholics who wish to be respectful of episcopal authority should be careful not to jump to conclusions based upon their own preconceived opinions or refuse to reconsider preconceived opinions when presented with opportunities to do so by one’s shepherds in the Church.