What is the Catholic view of capital punishment?

Answer 1

Catholic AnswerThe Catholic viewpoint on capital punishment as explained by Pope John Paul II and The Catechism of the Catholic Churchreiterates the Church's traditional teaching that nations and individuals have the right to self-defense and that, if all the appropriate circumstances are met, capital punishment may be the only resource left. But, they both point out that in this day and age, the need for capital punishment is practically non-existent.

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from the EWTN website

The Church's teaching has not changed, nor has the Pope said that it has. The Catechism and the Pope state that the state has the right to exact the death penalty. Nations have the right to just war and individuals have the right to self-defense. Does that means that any and all uses of force to defend oneself against a criminal, or a criminal nation, are justified? No, and most people understand that.

To be good every moral act must satisfy three elements

1) The act itself must be good.

2) The intention of the one doing it must be good.

3) The circumstances must be appropriate.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent."

Answer 2

Life belongs to God alone. So the church does not inspire or encourage the death penalty.

Roman Catholic AnswerThe Church has always taught that life is a gift from God and only He has the right to terminate it. However, a legitimate government, in protecting its people, does have the legal right to inflict the death penalty when there is no other possible means of protecting its people. In this day and age, I would think that those circumstances would be hard pressed to be met. Two official statements of the Vatican are at the links below:

Answer 3

The current Papal Line opposes Capital Punishment, and also Euthanasia, Abortion, certain forms of stem-cell research and other ( border of life and death) related issues. It has only been since about l982 they have directly opposed the death penalty. There have been attempts on several popes- by the way.( assasination attempts that is)

Answer 4

The current papal (party Line) consistently opposes Abortion, various forms of contraception, IVF< Capital punishment, and some other activities involving deliberate destruction of (human life) The Church has only been anti-Capital punishment in TOTO since about l982. Prior to that they condoned the practice. to date ( fingers crossed- and not in jest) no Pope has been assassinated though there have been assaults and attempts as recently as the past Christmas season. Forewarned is forearmed- but the Church currently opposes Capital punishment.

Answer 5

The Catholic church views all human life as sacred. It is deeply rooted in the church that man cannot rightly decide to end another human life. After all, Jesus, himself was wrongly put to death.

Answer 6

Generally, the Church is against it. While, unlike abortion, there may be instances where it is acceptable, those are extremely rare, and, as far as I know, not enumerated anywhere by the Church.

Answer 7

The official position of the Church is that capital punishment should only be used for the most serious of crimes. Hitler would probably have qualified under this position. However, this is not a required belief of the Church. Individuals have the right to form their own conscience on this matter. Basically, the Catholic Church is pro-life and considers all life from conception until natural death to be precious.

Answer 8

Roman Catholic AnswerIn principle the Catholic Church supports the death penalty, and supports the government's use of it. However, as Pope John Paul II, of happy memory, points out in his Encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" (The Gospel of Life) is is appropriate only in cases of absolute necessity, when no other means are available to protect society. This all flows from the basic respect that the Church maintains for all life, which has been created by God, and is held in being by him.

In the link below to the Catechism, if you scroll down to paragraphs 2266-2267, you can read the stated position of the Church on the death penalty.

The other link is to Pope John Paul II's statement on capital punishment.

Answer 9

Death penalty = not acceptable.