I must admit I’m suprised to learn that not all Catholics are against the death penalty. While I can certainly see the validity of the idea that in some ways the death penalty reaffirms the sanctity of life, does it not contradict the hope for “the protection of life from conception to natural death”?
Unlike abortion, which is intrinsically evil, capital punishment is not. Therefore, there differing opinions on the death penalty are allowed and are within bounds of the teaching of the Church.
That said, we should always form our consciences properly and the mind of the Church on this issue in modern times is that while it is not intrinsically wrong to apply the death penalty, mercy and justice dictate that it should be rarely if ever used.
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