Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news.harvard.edu!noc.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!rutgers!igor.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian
From: gt7122b@prism.gatech.edu (Randal Lee Nicholas Mandock)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: On Capital Punishment
Message-ID: <May.12.04.29.37.1993.10035@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 12 May 93 08:29:37 GMT
Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 51
Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu

In article <May.11.02.37.49.1993.28198@athos.rutgers.edu>
 mmh@dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes:

>I would say only to the extent that the Roman Catholic Church
>neither approves nor disapproves of capital punishment, as
>confirmed in the recent catechism, though there are many RCs
>who were rather surprised and upset that capital punishment was
>not explicitly condemned.

I quote from the journal, "30 Days In the Church and In the World,"
1992, No. 8/9, p. 29. 

Regarding the new draft of the Universal Catechism:

	In procuring the common good of society the need could arise
	that the aggressor be placed in the position where he cannot
	cause harm.  By virtue of this, the right and obligation of 
	public authorities to punish with proportionate penalties,
	including the death penalty, is acknowledged.  For similar
	reasons, legimate authorities have the right to impede
	aggressors in society with the use of arms.  The Church's 
	traditional teaching has always been expressed and will 
	continue to be expressed in the 
	consideration of the real conditions of common good and the
	effective means for preserving public order and personal
	safety.  To the degree that means other than the death
	penalty and military operations are sufficient to keep the
	peace, then these non-violent provisions are to be preferred
	because they are more in proportion and in keeping with the
	final goal of protection of peace and human dignity.  

As is clearly shown by this excerpt, the Church's teaching on capital
punishment remains today as it has always been in the past - in total
accord with my sentiment that I do not disagree with the use of deadly
force in those cases for which this option is justifiable.  

>I do not think your biblical quote can automatically be taken
>as support for capital punishment. I take it that as a Roman
>Catholic you are opposed to abortion, and would still onsider
>it wrong, and something to be objected to even if legalised by
>"authority".

I seek to conform my will to the will of God as expounded by His
instrument of the visible Church here on earth whenever the question
of faith or morals arises.  


-- 
Randal Lee Nicholas Mandock 
Catechist
gt7122b@prism.gatech.edu 
