In its efforts to promote the fullness of life offered in Jesus, the Church’s
concern extends to include violence, poverty, marginalization, and everything
that diminishes people and communities. To be pro life is to be opposed
to the death penalty.
“The Church sees as a sign of hope ‘a growing public opposition
to the death penalty, even when such a penalty is seen as a kind of ‘legitimate
defence’ on the part of society …’ The growing number
of countries adopting provisions to abolish the death penalty or suspend
its application is also proof of the fact that cases in which it is absolutely
necessary to execute the offender ‘are very rare, if not practically
non-existent’. The growing aversion of public opinion towards
the death penalty and the various provisions aimed at abolishing it
or suspending
its application constitute visible manifestations of a heightened moral
awareness.”
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, n 405
Catholic Social Teaching
Current Church Teaching
Catechism of the Catholic Church, n 2267
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, n 405
Papal Interventions
John Paul II, Angelus, 12 December 1999
John Paul II, World Day of Peace Message 2001, n 19
John Paul II, Address to the New Ambassador of the Republic Of Rwanda
to the Holy See,
6 December 2001
John Paul II, Homily, Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City,
23 January 1999
John Paul II , Homily, St. Louis, 27 January, 1999, n 5.
Pope Benedict XVI, Appeal to the President of Indonesia to grant clemency
in the cases of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu,
November 2006.
Vatican Diplomacy
Holy See Delegation at the conference for the establishment of the International
Criminal Court
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Intervention
at the Third Committee of the 54th Session of the General Assembly
on Item 116A (the abolition of the death penalty).
Australian Teaching & Action
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, A Milestone for the Human Family,
1998
Bishop
Christopher Saunders, media release “Australia’s
Leaders Should Renounce Death Penalty”, 19 December 2003
Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, Position Paper: Why the
ACSJC Opposes the Death Penalty, October 2000
Philippines Bishops
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Primer on the Death
Penalty, 1999.
Stories & Reflections
Confronting the Death Penalty In this Catholic Social Justice Series paper from the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council,
Michael Costigan examines the moral and historical dimensions of the death penalty relating to Catholic social teaching; Brian Deegan describes his grief over the loss of his son
in the Bali bombing and his conviction that the death penalty is inhuman, even for his son’s murderers; Peter Norden SJ speaks of his community’s support for the family of Van Tuong Nguyen,
who was executed in Singapore; and Andrew Byrnes examines the legal implications of the death penalty and the attitudes of Australian police, governments and political parties.
Discussion Guides
Catholic Social
Teaching on the Death Penalty This discussion guide presents
a summary of current Church teaching on the death penalty, at the
international level and here in Australia, along with some questions
for discussion.
Tools for Action
Brisbane Campaign Against the Death Penalty
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane has been running a campaign against
the death penalty during lent providing action ideas for each day.
