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Dear Donald,
This is a controversial matter. You are correct in assessing that Francis wants to end the death penalty, as did Pope St. John Paul II in practical terms. The controversy revolves around the current pope positing that the act is "morally impermissible."
While Catholics have long advocated for mercy for even the worst criminals, never was the right of the state regarding Capital Punishment denied. This is new and arguably contrary to the long-standing tradition of the Church.
Others have done in-depth articles on this subject (citing numerous historical and empirical data) and it falls beyond the scope of this response to cover all that material.
I side with those that suggest Pope Francis overstepped, and at some point, the Church will need to correct it. The greatest difficulty is his amendment to the Catechism, which has a wide impact on Catholics. I personally believe that errors like this erode the credibility of the Magisterium and certainly obscure, at least in people's perception, the notion of an infallibly teaching Church.
Retreating to the stance of Pope St. John Paul II, who clearly advocated for mercy in the broadest terms possible, to avoid furthering the culture of death without making a doctrinal contradiction, would be far more prudent.
Peace,
Bob Kirby |
