What's new ... Pope praises efforts to end death penalty On November 30, during his weekly audience in Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI commended the efforts of groups working to end capital punishment and said he hoped such strategies would encourage political and legislative initiatives to abolish the death penalty and improve penal law. The pope conveyed a special greeting to a delegation of members of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, led by state Rep. Karen Yarbrough (Dem.). On March 9, 2011, Ash Wednesday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (Dem.) signed a bill abolishing the death penalty in the state. The Catholic News Service quoted Yarbrough as saying the papal audience was a capstone to an intense year of efforts that paid off with legislation banning capital punishment in Illinois. The pope’s remarks coincided with a November 29-30 meeting in Rome organized by the Catholic Community of Sant’Egidio calling upon people in cities around the world to join a public demonstration of opposition to the death penalty. In Rome, the Colosseum was lit up Nov. 30 to show the city's adherence to the initiative. Following is the text of the pope’s remarks: “I greet the distinguished delegations from various countries taking part in the meeting promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio on the theme: ‘No Justice without Life.’ I express my hope that your deliberations will encourage the political and legislative initiatives being promoted in a growing number of countries to eliminate the death penalty and to continue the substantive progress made in conforming penal law both to the human dignity of prisoners and the effective maintenance of public order. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims present, including those from the United States, I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!” Oregon archbishop commends governor's halt of executions Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny has hailed the November 22 decision of Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (Dem.) to place a moratorium on the death penalty for the rest of his term and to support any ballot measure calling for the repeal of the the death penalty. "Those of us who respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death applaud this decision," said Archbishop Vlazny, in a November 23 statement on the website of the Catholic Sentinel, the archdiocesan newspaper. In announcing his move, Governor Kitzhaber said, "I am convinced we can find a better solution that keeps society safe, supports the victims of crime and their families, and reflects Oregon values. I refuse to be a part of this compromised and inequitable system any longer; and I will not allow further executions while I am governor." His announcement came two weeks before the scheduled execution of Gary Haugen, who had given up his appeals. It would have been the state’s first execution in 14 years. Also applauding the decision was the group Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. “Governor Kitzhaber has shown great leadership with this announcement,” said Ron Steiner, board chair of OADP, who is a parishioner of St. Pius Church in Portland and a member of CACP . “We are particularly pleased that a full and comprehensive examination of the death penalty, as public policy will take place. We are aware that the Governor has given this topic enormous consideration. We feel that he has done the right thing and wish to express our appreciation.” Kitzhaber, a physician, said he regretted having allowed to executions to take place during his first terms as governor during the 1990s. “They were the most agonizing and difficult decisions I have made as governor and I have revisited and questioned them over and over again during the past 14 years,” he said. “ I do not believe those executions made us safer. Certainly I don't believe they made us nobler as a society. And I simply cannot participate once again in something I believe to be morally wrong." “We look forward to being a part of the upcoming discussion and invite all Oregon citizens to join with us in making this state a more peaceful place,” said the OADP’s Steiner. “The statesman-like move by the Governor today is a big step in that direction.” In the neighboring state of Idaho, Bishop Michael P. Driscoll of Boise expressed “sadness and disappointment” over the November 18 execution of Paul E. Rhoades, the state’s first execution since 1994. "While Mr. Rhoades' crimes were heinous, and his trial and sentencing met the standards of justice required by our state, the Catholic Church continues to believe that the sanction of death, when it is not necessary to protect society, violates respect for human life and dignity," the bishop said. “Ending the use of the death penalty would be one important step away from a culture of death toward building a culture of life," he said. Among the pleas for mercy sent to Idaho Gov. Butch Otter (Rep.), a Catholic who once studied for the priesthood, was a letter from Msgr. Jean-Francois Lantheaume, a personal representative of Pope Benedict XVI in the U.S., who issued “a call for mercy beyond the strict confines of justice.” In a separate letter to Otter, Bishop Driscoll wrote: “For the Catholic community, this issue - like all life issues - is more than public policy. It involves our faith and the central issue that all human life is sacred. Catholic teaching on this issue is more than just how to respond to violent crime. It's about justice and what kind of society we want to be.” On November 15, the state of Florida executed 65-year-old Oba Chandler, despite a plea from the state’s Catholic bishops to Gov. Rick Scott (Rep.) to "stop the cycle of violence that is fueled by the desire for vengeance" and commute Chandler's sentence to life in prison without parole. Theologians call for an end to executions; DiNardo criticized for ignoring death penalty in his annual 'Respect Life Month' message More than 300 Catholic theologians, scholars, and activists have signed a statement that calls on the U.S. to abolish capital punishment and asks the church to work "unwaveringly" toward that goal. Coincidentally, a number of them have expressed concern that the September 26 annual "Respect Life Month" message issued by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Pro-Life Committee, made no mention of the death penalty, even though it addressed other issues such as mandated contraception coverage and long term care of the infirm. The theologians' statement was issued September 26 on the Catholic Moral Theology blog. It, along with the names of the signers, can be accessed at the organization's website.   ”In concert with our recent popes and bishops,” the statement says, “we oppose the death penalty, whether a person on death row is guilty or innocent, on both theological and practical grounds.... We urge our nation to abolish capital punishment, and we also implore our churches to work unwaveringly to end it as well as all other threats to human life and dignity.” It calls on federal lawmakers and President Barack Obama to repeal the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, which, the theologians say, permits the execution of a person whose guilt is not established beyond reasonable doubt. Tobias Winright, an associate professor in theology at St. Louis University who helped draft the statement, said in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter that the number of theologians interested in adding their name to the list is growing each day. A September 28 Washington Post article titled "Is There a Death-Penalty-Sized Hole in Catholicism's 'Seamless Garment'?," quoted Gerald J. Beyer, an associate professor at Philadelphia's St. Joseph's University and one of the authors of the statement, as saying DiNardo's failure to address the death penalty issue in his Respect Life Month message was "a missed opportunity" at a critical moment. Many signers, he said, were "either angry or confused" by the omission. Another signer, Vincent Miller, a theologian at the University of Dayton, called the omission "troubling," and added: "If contraception is a life issue, surely state-sponsored execution is one." 2011-2012 USCCB Respect Life Program includes information on church teachings on the death penalty issue For the second year in a row, Catholic teaching on the issue of capital punishment is being prominently featured in the annual Respect Life Program, an initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. The 2011-2012 program consists of a series of pamphlets, each explaining the teachings of the church on a major pro-life issue. One of them, titled “Life Matters: The Death Penalty,” calls the subject "a complex moral issue," and states that "it is clear that the death penalty no longer serves a useful purpose" in protecting the sanctity of human life. For more information, and the text of the brochure, click on the "CACP's Newsletter" box at left and scroll down to Items No. 1 and No. 2. Or go directly to the website www.usccb.org/respectlife. Bishops hail chief justice’s plan to study Ohio’s death penalty Ohio’s Catholic bishops have praised a decision by the state’s top judge to create a task force to study whether the death penalty is administered fairly. Chief justice Maureen O’Connor, a Republican and former prosecutor, is forming the 20-member task force in conjunction with the state bar. “We believe such a study will confirm that there are serious flaws and systemic disparities within any application of the death penalty,” said a statement issued by the Ohio Catholic Conference (www.ohiocathconf.org) on September 16, the day after O’Connor made her announcement. On September 27, State Sen. Edna Brown (Dem.) urged Gov. John Kasich (Rep.) to place a moratorium on executions until the O'Connor study is completed. Brown also announced plans to introduce a bill to abolish the death penalty in the Senate. A similar abolition bill, HR160, was filed in the House earlier this year. 2011 State legislative roundup:  Executions ended in Illinois,  but repeal efforts stalled elsewhere The August 31, 2011 issue of CACP News Notes features a roundup of 2011 efforts in U.S. state legislatures regarding efforts to end capital punishment, and Catholic-oriented involvement in those efforts. Included are reports on: - A new law that abolishes the death penalty in Illinois, signed March 9 by Gov. Pat Quinn, a Catholic Democrat. - The current status of repeal legislation, strongly backed by Catholic bishops and other church leaders, in several other states: Connecticut, Montana, Maryland, Kansas, Nebraska, and Ohio. - The failure of an attempt to reinstate the death penalty in New Mexico, opposed by the archbishop of Santa Fe. - The defeat, in Virginia, of legislation opposed by the state’s Catholic bishops that would have expanded the state’s death penalty law. For more information, click on the “CACP’s Newsletter” box at left and scroll down to item No. 3. Former death row warden leads campaign to end executions The journey of Jeanne Woodford from being the warden of San Quentin Prison, where California’s death row and execution chamber are located, to leading a national anti-death-penalty organization was the subject of a June 21 article the Catholic San Francisco archdiocesan newspaper. (Click here for text of article.) Woodford, a lifelong Catholic, said that although she long opposed capital punishment on moral grounds, she does not try to convince people regarding personal moral decisions. She took no pleasure, however, in being a party to executions. There were four during her 28 years at San Quentin. “Just imagine asking public servants to wake up every day and have them go to work planning to kill somebody,” she said. “It takes a toll on you. You begin to realize how much you are affected by participating in an execution. You have spent 30 to 60 days planning to kill somebody. How can that not affect you?” Woodford was recently named executive director of Death Penalty Focus, a San Francisco-based group that calls for replacing the death penalty with prison terms of life without parole.  For more information on this and news in other states (Arizona, Florida, Texas), click on the "CACP's Newsletter" box at left and scroll down to Item No. 4. The Catholic Mobilizing Network:  A progress report The Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty (CMN) was formed in January 2009 to help implement the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty—an initiative begun four years earlier. CMN supports state bishops’ conferences, diocesan offices, and other Catholic organizations in their efforts to end executions and promote restorative justice. The August 31, 2011 issue of CACP News Notes features a progress report on CMN and its ambitious plans for the future. To read it, click on the “CACP’s Newsletter” box at left and scroll down to item No. 5. Pope's praise for Philippine bishops' efforts  is among several recent Vatican statements  on death penalty At a November 29, 2010 meeting with bishops from the Philippines, in Rome for their "ad limina" visits, Pope Benedict XVI applauded their role in ending the death penalty in the island nation. "I commend the church in the Philippines for seeking to play its part in support of human life from conception until natural death," he said, adding: "I also note with appreciation the church's work to abolish the death penalty in your country." The Philippines banned capital punishment in its 1987 Constitution. It was reinstated in the 1990s, but abolished by a 2006 law. A recent spate of violence has prompted calls for its reimposition. In late October, the Bishops' Conference of the Philippines reiterated its stand against the practice, stating: "We stand by our belief that the deprivation of the right to life will not gain justice for all." The pope's remark was one of several death-penalty-related statements issued from the Vatican in recent months. In early October, the director of the Vatican Press Office called for a universal end to capital punishment, saying that today’s society has moved beyond the point where the practice can be justified. “I don’t want it in China, or in Iran, or in the United States, or in India, or in Indonesia or in Saudi Arabia - nowhere in the world,” said Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi on October 2, in his weekly editorial comment on Vatican Television. “I don’t want it by stoning, or by shooting, or by decapitation, or by hanging, or by the electric chair, or by lethal injection,” he continued. “I don’t want it whether painful or painless. I don’t want it in public or in secret. “I don’t want it for women, or for men; for the handicapped or for the healthy. I don’t want it for civilians or military men, I don’t want it in peace or in war. I don’t want it for someone who might be innocent, but I don’t want it for confessed criminals either. I don’t want it for homosexuals. I don’t want it for adulterers. I don’t want it for anyone. “I don’t even want it for murderers, for the Mafiosi, for traitors or for tyrants,” Lombardi continued. “I don’t want it out of vengeance, or to free ourselves from troublesome and expensive prisoners, not even for alleged mercy. Because I seek a greater justice. And it is good to walk on this path to increasingly affirm ... the dignity of the person and of human life, of which it is not up to us to dispose.” On September 9, 2010, a letter from the late Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., conveyed Pope Benedict's request to Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (Dem.) that the death sentence of Gregory Wilson, a Catholic, be commuted to life imprisonment. "I ask you to hear the call of the Church for the abolition of capital punishment," Sambi wrote. "Please allow yourself to reflect on the Holy Father's plea and use your authority to help shape a society in which all human life is recognized as sacred." The execution was stayed on September 10, 2010 by a judge who said he found "serious questions" about Wilson's below-average mental abilities and problems with the execution process used by Kentucky. Apostolic Nuncio Sambi made a similar appeal on behalf of the pope in mid-September to Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (Rep.), a Catholic, asking him to spare the life of Teresa Lewis, a 41-year-old grandmother. On September 23, 2010, Lewis became the first woman executed in Virginia in almost a century. At his November 17, 2010 audience in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI called for the release of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian mother of five who was condemned to death for having allegedly blasphemed the prophet Mohammed. On October 16, 2010, the Vatican called on Iraq not to execute Tariq Aziz, a Catholic who served as foreign minister for former Iraq president Saddam Hussein. Aziz was sentenced to death earlier that day for persecuting Shiite Muslims in the early 1990s. Earlier in 2010, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone reaffirmed the Holy See's stance against capital punishment in a message to participants in the Fourth World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Geneva, Switzerland. "This event," he said on February 26, 2010 "highlights once more the awakening of consciences to the need for greater recognition of the inalienable dignity of the human person and the universality and inseparability of human rights, beginning with the right to life. The Holy See reiterates its support for all initiatives aimed at defending the inherent value and inviolability of every human life from the moment of conception until natural death." Young people puzzled by inconsistency of some pro-lifers,  former USCCB head says An encouraging sign in the pro-life movement is the many young people engaged in efforts to protect human life from conception to natural death, according to Most Rev. Joseph A. Fiorenza, retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston and a former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Speaking at the archdiocese’s 2010 Pro-Life Leadership Conference, he said: “These young people do not understand the disconnect they observe in some pro-lifers who are not completely pro-life. They are puzzled by those who work tirelessly to oppose abortion but who also support capital punishment. It is confusing to them that some pro-lifers do not recognize God’s absolute sovereignty over all life - the innocent baby in the womb as well as the person who has committed a heinous crime. “Young people think it strange that all in the pro-life movement are not completely pro-life,” he said. “The pro-life movement will be stronger and more effective if all those dedicated to abolition of abortion would follow the lead of young people and also work for the abolition of the death penalty.” Support grows at U.N. for global moratorium on executions On December 21, 2010, the United States joined China, India, Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in voting against a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly seeking a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty. The motion passed with 109 countries in favor, 41 against it, and 35 abstentions. A similar stance was taken by the General Assembly in 2007, but by a smaller margin - 104 yes votes, 54 no votes, and 29 abstentions. A similar resolution had been adopted on November 11, 2010 by the General Assembly’s Third Committee, a body composed of all 192 UN member states that deals with human rights and humanitarian issues.