Letters

Capital Punishment - with Apology

John Gallagher

Contents - May 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: AD2000: accentuating the positive - Michael Gilchrist Documents: Benedict XVI's new document on the Eucharist - Sacramentum Caritatis - Michael Gilchrist Education: How to fix Australia's Catholic schools and colleges - Br Barry Coldrey News: The Church Around the World Catechesis: Sydney RCIA conference in June on forming new adult Catholics - Joanne Zwaans Cinema: New movie offers an authentic representation of monastic life - Rosina Gordon (reviewer) Vocations: New religious communities flourishing in the United States - Fr James Lloyd Culture survey shows moral divisions in the US The importance of 'holy things' for one's Christian faith - Andrew Kania Letters: Teachers' conference - Ron Munro Letters: Marital fidelity - Br Con Moloney Letters: Conscience - Msgr F. Hickey PE Letters: Priest shortage - Dr Frank Mobbs Letters: Ecumenical councils - Peter D. Howard Letters: Debating euthanasia with facts - Rebecca Soares Letters: Scourge of euthanasia - Brian Harris Letters: Thank you from India - Fr. A. Joseph Letters: Capital Punishment - with Apology - John Gallagher Books: The Catholic Church and the Counter-Faith, by Philip Trower - John Morrissey (reviewer) Books: The Heresy Of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy, by Martin Mosebach - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: Liturgy, Life of the Church; The Modern Rite; Pope and Council on Sacred Liturgy - Michael Daniel (reviewer) DOES YOUR PARISH STOCK AD2000? Books: AD2000 Books Reflection: Teaching children about the Eucharist - Audrey English

Apology

I draw readers' attention to a letter on capital punishment published in the April AD2000 (page 16) under the name of John Gallagher. Prior to its publication, I had phone discussions with Mr Gallagher about possible edits and additions to his letter in order to make it, in my view, more credible and more in line with current Church teaching. Mr Gallagher agreed to the addition of a passage from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

However, Mr Gallagher has since indicated that he is displeased with some of the edits to his letter which did not in fact reflect his view of the Church's stance. I therefore apologise to him and in fairness publish his original letter below, unchanged.

MICHAEL GILCHRIST
Editor AD2000

Capital punishment

Bishop Christopher Saunders, writing in relation to the execution of Saddam Hussein (Catholic Weekly, 28 January 2007), refers to 'the pointlessness and obscenity of the death penalty.' We may not characterise as obscene a practice sanctioned and even mandated by God Himself.

In his authoritative Catechism Pope St Pius X proclaims: 'It is lawful to kill ... when carrying out by order of the Supreme Authority a sentence of death in punishment for a crime' ('the Fifth Commandment,' Question 3).

Dr Leslie Rumble MSC states: 'But by both the natural moral law and God's positive enactments the State is expressly authorised to safeguard social welfare by sentencing to death those guilty of capital crimes ...' (Questions People Ask, Question 619).

Father John Hardon SJ affirms: 'It is certain from Scripture that civil authorities may lawfully put malefactors to death ... Among the errors of the Waldenses condemned by the Church in the early 13th century was the proposition that denied the lawfulness of capital punishment (Argentre Collectio de Novis Erroribus, 1, 86) ... St Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) defends capital punishment on the grounds of the common good' (Modern Catholic Dictionary, page 81).

Clearly this teaching of the authentic Magisterium, that remains 'unchanged and unchanging', overrides all contrary personal opinion.

JOHN GALLAGHER
Armidale, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 4 (May 2007), p. 15