Death penalty? Not for Christians
As I have written
previously, in May I had the privilege to attend the 32nd National
Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministry. I’ve been busy with my college class
work, and relearning things forgotten, and I have longed to get back to what I
love, writing this Blog. The emotions have passed but the memories are there
and I hope that I can convey the importance of jail and prison ministry and the call for the
end of the death penalty.
One of the main topics,
and the topic of the Keynote Speaker, Sister Helen Prejean, author of “Dead Man
Walking” a Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille, is the Death Penalty vs. Life in
Prison without Parole. Sr. Prejean delivered her Keynote address at the Holy
Family Catholic Church of Orlando, and began with expressing how on the
Crucifix image of Christ, “There are two
arms on the cross and the Gospel of Jesus stretches us. On one arm is the
perpetrator, some of whom have committed crimes so unspeakable, we can barely
tell the terrible details of what they did to innocent victims. On the other
arm are the victim’s families. And both sides are crying out for healing and
justice,” said Sr. Prejean.
Christ loves us all and
is calling all of us to him, asking us to repent.
The putting to death
of a human cannot, in anyway, heal the victims and their families; only
forgiveness can heal a persons heart. The father of a murder victim, who’s
murderer Sr. Prejean was counseling, taught her that. He first had to
experience his own transformation from anger and rage, to forgiveness, in order
to save himself from the bitterness and hatred that was consuming him and
robbing him of any future happiness. Sr. Prejean went on to say later that “He
was the first victims family member who taught me forgiveness is not first and
foremost to relieve the (perpetrator’s) burden of guilt; it is what you do for
yourself so you are not overtaken by hate. It is God’s grace to save your
life.”
When Jesus was
teaching, Matthew 18: 21 Then Peter approaching asked
him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As
many as seven times?” 22* Jesus
answered, “I say to you, not seven times but
seventy-seven times.” (or seventy times seven, depending on the
translation.)
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| Sermon on the Mount |
The Holy
Catholic Church has taught from the beginning:
“Do not
repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for
it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Roman
12:17-19
Blessed Pope John Paul
II, wrote an Encyclical, on the belief that all life is sacred, from conception
to natural death. EVANGELIUM
VITAE, or Gospel of Life, a document available for all to read, I’ve
included, for you, the link to the Holy See website file. The encyclical
discuss’ every aspect of life from conception to death, including but not
limited to unnatural conception, and euthanasia. For purposes of this blog
post, I wish to point out a few portions, but I do recommend that if you have
the opportunity, to read the entire document. I’m sure you will find it as
enlightening as I have. Bookmark the link so you can return to it later, you
will find the entire website is a wonderful place to explore the Vatican.
The encyclical is numbered for ease in locating portions and in
number 7, it talks about the first murder, Adam and Eve’s son, Cain kills his
brother Abel. In Genesis chapter 4, Cain
and Abel bring portions of their labor to the Lord God as burnt offerings. When
the Lord God show’s he favored Abel, Cain became envious and lured his brother
out to fields where he had tended the ground, and struck Abel, spilling his
blood on the ground.
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| Cain leadng Abel to his Death, Tissot. |
The Encyclical
continues in #8, As Saint Ambrose writes:
"Once the crime is admitted at the very inception of this sinful act of
parricide, then the divine law of God's mercy should be immediately extended.
If punishment were forthwith inflicted on the accused, then men in the exercise
of justice would in no way observe patience and moderation, but would straightaway
condemn the defendant to punishment. ...God drove Cain out of his presence and
sent him into exile far away from his native land, so that he passed from a
life of human kindness to one which was more akin to the rude existence of a
wild beast. God, who preferred the correction rather than the death of a
sinner, did not desire that a homicide be punished by the exaction of another
act of homicide".
God had continued to
have mercy on Cain and put a mark on him that would warn others not to kill
him. Ours is not to kill, but to punish and rehabilitate, even if that means
keeping them away from people for their own protection and that of the public.
We must not, as followers of Christ, condone the death of a human being, no
matter how heinous they may be. The official response of the Roman Catholic
church upon the news of Osama bin Laden’s death: “Faced with the death of a
man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of
everyone before God and man, and hopes and pledges that every event is not an
opportunity for a further growth of hatred, but of peace.”*Fr.
F. Lombardi, Exec. Dir. Of the Vatican Press Office, May 2, 2011.
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| Stained Glass Window |
It is a reality that in
these days, it is difficult to find the grace to forgive someone accused and
convicted of a horrible crime, and many will say “Kill him for what he did!”
I’ve heard this sentiment within my own family. It rips my heart every time I
hear it, and I remind them of what Christ did for us. People who felt as passionately
about the Law of God, who believed with their whole beings, that Jesus deserved
death, death on a cross, for what they believed was blasphemy against God.
Knowing that He died on that cross, for our failings, our lack of faith, our
sins, us, who had not been born yet, yes even those who sinned yesterday
and killed an innocent person, Jesus has already forgiven them! He calls
them and us, “Do not
conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. “Romans 12:2
We have but to follow his example and pray
that they will accept his forgiveness and be changed! They have a chance, until
the moment of their death, to find the Lord and we should rejoice when they do!
Jesus loves sinners!
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
for loving me, a poor sinner, not worthy of your gift, that I might have
eternal life with You in Heaven, and grant me the Grace to extend that love to
everyone I meet. Amen,
Blessings!
The Catholic Lady©
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