Pope Calls For Outright Condemnation Of Death Penalty In All Circumstances

[anikins]

Pope Francis marked the 25th anniversary of a landmark compilation of Catholic teaching by saying Wednesday it should be changed to address an issue close to his heart: the death penalty.

During an anniversary ceremony at the Vatican, Francis repeated his insistence that capital punishment is “inadmissible” under any circumstance. He said the death penalty violates the Gospel and amounts to the voluntary killing of a human life, which “is always sacred in the eyes of the creator.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, issued a quarter century ago by St. John Paul II to give Catholics an easy, go-to guide for church teaching, doesn’t exclude recourse to the death penalty.

While saying its need is increasingly rare “if not practically non-existent,” the Catechism says capital punishment is permissible if it’s the only way to defend life against an “unjust aggressor.”

The death penalty has been abolished in most of Europe and South America, but it is still in use in the United States and in several countries in Asia, Africa and the Mideast.

Francis acknowledged that in the past even the Papal States had allowed this “extreme and inhuman recourse.” But he said the Holy See had erred in allowing a mentality that was “more legalistic than Christian” and now knew better.

Noting that church doctrine can develop over time, Francis said the Catechism “should find a more adequate and coherent” way to express the Gospel message about the dignity and value of every human life.

“It’s necessary to repeat that no matter how serious the crime, the death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolable dignity of the person,” he said.

Francis has long made prison ministry a mainstay of his vocation. On nearly every foreign trip, he has visited with inmates to offer words of solidarity and hope, and he still stays in touch with Argentine inmates he ministered to during his years as archbishop of Buenos Aires.

http://abcnews.go.com/International...c-guide-updating-death-penalty-issue-50419902

 

[Rau]

@Ender will not be pleased

 

[pianistclare]

I’m pleased! LOL

 

[oppositeman13]

from one peter five

The citations in the above make clear that the established teaching of the Church on the matter come from both the Scriptures and the Magisterium. And yet, in an address given today, October 11, 2017, marking the 25th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the pope has taken his position even further, saying the Catechism needs to be revised to reflect the understanding that capital punishment “is, in itself, contrary to the Gospel, because a decision is voluntarily made to suppress a human life, which is always sacred in the eyes of the Creator and of whom, in the last analysis, only God can be the true judge and guarantor”. [emphasis added]

The teaching of the Church on the permissibly of capital punishment, however, is taken from Divine Revelation; it is, in other words, infallible, and not subject to such changes – even by a pope. As the late Jesuit theologian Fr. John Hardon explained:

continue reading at - Pope Francis Is Wrong about the Death Penalty. Here's Why. - OnePeterFive

 

[pnewton]

No surprise here. Three popes in a row have opposed the death penalty. If this is a matter of prudence, then I guess I will exercise prudence an listen to the boss.

 

[Ender]

@Ender will not be pleased.

This is true, although not perhaps for the reasons you might suspect.

The teaching of the Church on the permissibly of capital punishment, however, is taken from Divine Revelation; it is, in other words, infallible, and not subject to such changes – even by a pope.

And here’s the rub: if this doctrine can not just change but be reversed, what does it say about everything else the church claims to believe?

The reversal of a doctrine as well established as the legitimacy of capital punishment would raise serious problems regarding the credibility of the magisterium. Consistency with Scripture and long-standing Catholic tradition is important for the grounding of many current teachings of the Catholic Church; for example, those regarding abortion, contraception, the permanence of marriage, and the ineligibility of women for priestly ordination. If the tradition on capital punishment had been reversed, serious questions would be raised regarding other doctrines…

If, in fact, the previous teaching had been discarded, doubt would be cast on the current teaching as well. It too would have to be seen as reversible, and in that case, as having no firm hold on people’s assent. The new doctrine, based on a recent insight, would be in competition with a magisterial teaching that has endured for two millennia—or even more, if one wishes to count the biblical testimonies. Would not some Catholics be justified in adhering to the earlier teaching on the ground that it has more solid warrant than the new? The faithful would be confronted with the dilemma of having to dissent either from past or from present magisterial teaching. (Edward Feser, Joseph Bessette)

 

[oppositeman13]

we are trying, with God’s help, to discover His Truth - please let’s all of us work towards that.

 

[oppositeman13]

listening to the boss generally works but not always - the pope is not infallible - if 3 popes have opposed it then why does catholic teaching leave the door open? This door could have been closed but has not. The bottom line her is that our pope is saying that doctrine can be changed - I refer you to Dr. Edward Feser’s article in the Catholic World Report - http://www.catholicworldreport.com/...shment-even-the-popes-defenders-are-confused/

 

[Rau]

if 3 popes have opposed it then why does catholic teaching leave the door open?

Because no Pope (at least until the present Pope - where there is a deal of confusion…) has sought to assert that CP is intrinsically evil. The Church holds it is not intrinsically evil. But in recent decades, the Church has argued it is almost always inappropriate.

 

[pnewton]

• the pope is not infallible - if 3 popes have opposed it then why does catholic teaching leave the door open?

Neither am I you are Dr. Feser. He is authoritative, which does not apply to us three.

Besides, I see no direct doctrinal conflict.

 

[irenaeus1]

Besides, I see no direct doctrinal conflict.

But it DOES pose a doctrinal problem if the pope is not merely proposing the practical non-use of the death penalty, but actually teaching that it is always and everywhere wrong regardless of circumstances. Even one of the pope’s supporters (and one who himself believes that the death penalty is an intrinsic evil) believes that this means that previous Church teaching was necessarily false.

 

[Ender]

But it DOES pose a doctrinal problem if the pope is not merely proposing the practical non-use of the death penalty, but actually teaching that it is always and everywhere wrong regardless of circumstances. Even one of the pope’s supporters (and one who himself believes that the death penalty is an intrinsic evil) believes that this means that previous Church teaching was necessarily false.

Declaring capital punishment to be intrinsically evil has enormous significance that most people appear to overlook…but not everyone is oblivious to the problem.

“The death penalty is not intrinsically evil. Both Scripture and long Christian tradition acknowledge the legitimacy of capital punishment under certain circumstances. The Church cannot repudiate that without repudiating her own identity.” (Archbishop Chaput, 2005)