1 catholic teaching on death penalty.docx

7/25/2019 1 CATHOLIC TEACHING ON DEATH PENALTY.docx

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CATHOLICTEACHINGONTHEUSEOFTHEDEATHPENALTY: A SAMPLE

GROUPDISCUSSIONThis resource for group discussion of Catholic Social Teaching and the death penalty facilitates a program whichlasts for one hour. You may choose to extend discussion times in small and large group settings for a longer

program.

In preparing for the group discussion, you will need at least one copy of each small group discussion handout for

each group (although you may want to provide each group member with a copy as well. You will need paper and

pens or pencils for someone from each group to record the groups discussion. You will need to ma!e a copy of the

"uotations and prayer intentions for the closing reflection and cut them apart to distribute among participants.

Introduction and Opening Prayer(5 minutes)

Leader: We have come together today to learn about and reflect on the death penalty and how our Catholic Faith

informs our consciences and convictions on this issue. We will have an opportunity to consider perspectives on the

death penalty both as a whole group and in smaller discussions. We will begin as we will end, in prayer:

eavenly Father, !ou create each person in your image and invite everyone to a special relationship with you, our

sole end. !ou alone are the "ord of life. #estore our relationships with you and one another.

"ord, $esus Christ,

!ou are the Way, the %ruth, and the "ife.

elp us to find our way to &ustice, to understand the truth of our human dignity, and to find new life in you.

oly 'pirit, source of all wisdom.#enew in us the light of reason and the spirit of love.

less our time together today.

Father, we as this through *ur "ord $esus Christ,

!our 'on,

who lives, and reigns with you and

the oly 'pirit,

one +od, for ever and ever.Amen.


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Opening Discussion(- minutes)

#ncourage participants to share their current understanding of the death penalty and Catholic Social Teaching. This

time should help them to start thin!ing about perspectives on the issue:

What are some typical arguments you hear, whether you agree or disagree with them, in support of thedeath penalty /gainst the death penalty

What do you now about Catholic teaching on the death penalty What are some principles of Catholic

'ocial %eaching (C'%) which apply to this issue

%he "ife and 0ignity of the uman 1erson is one of the themes of Catholic 'ocial %eaching. *ur Call to

Family, Community, and 1articipation,2 with particular concern for the common good, is another. What dothese principles suggest about Catholic teaching on the death penalty

We will now brea into four groups for reflection on specific aspects of the death penalty. %he first group

will consider Catholic teaching on the use of the death penalty3 the second group will reflect on human life,crime and punishment in 'cripture3 the third group will learn about the effectiveness of the death penalty3and the fourth group will focus on social effects of the death penalty. !ou will have 5 minutes to readabout and discuss your topic as a group. 4 will as for one person to tae notes and be prepared tosummarie your groups discussion for all of us.

$ivide the large group into four e"ual%si&ed groups, preferably with participants randomly distributed. 's!

for a volunteer recorderreporter from each group and provide himher with paper and a penpencil.$istribute the appropriate handout to each group.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION -- see four options beo!You will have )* minutes for your discussion.

Cosing Discussion(25 minutes)

Leader: Call the discussion groups bac! to the whole gathering. 's! the recorderreporter from each group to report

bac! on general themes they covered. #ncourage other group members to add any other points that they found

meaningful. +hat struc! or challenged them most #ncourage comments on the application of CST to the death

penalty as well as personal experiences or perspectives. -nce a group has finished sharing, invite participants from

other groups to as! "uestions or share their reactions and responses. #ach group should have * minutes to report on

their discussion.

+ith the remaining five minutes, as! the whole group to consider, one "uestion at a time: What are ways our

community can tae action What can we do to help eliminate the use of the death penalty ow can we spread

awareness of this issue and the Church6s teaching Who would lie to commit to being involved in carrying out these

ideas

Cosing Refection and Prayer(5 minutes)

ather for reflection and prayer in an arrangement that is appropriate for your group (e.g. standing or sitting in acircle. Cut into separate pieces and distribute the following "uotations and intentions, depending on the si&e of your

group. 's! those with "uotations to read them out loud in turn.

*ur witness to respect for life shines most brightly when we demand respect for each and every human life, including

the lives of those who fail to show that respect for others. %he antidote to violence is love, not more violence. 7nited

'tates Conference of Catholic ishops, /iving the ospel of /ife0 ' Challenge to 'merican Catholics(Washington,

0C: 7'CC, 889), 22.


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%he new evangeliation calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally prolife: who will proclaim, celebrate and

serve the +ospel of life in every situation. / sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life

must never be taen away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. ;odern society has the means of

protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform. 4 renew the appeal 4 made for a

consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary. 1ope $ohn 1aul 44, omily at the 1apal

;ass at the %rans World 0ome, 't. "ouis, ;* ($anuary 2


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We pray for the strength to advocate in the Congress, in the courts, and in the public s>uare3 to urge our public

officials to support measures that restrict the death penalty or provide alternatives3 and in a particular way, to as

those who mae decisions about the death penalty to tae their own opportunities to bring an end to its use.

We pray for the inspiration to reform the criminal &ustice system to mae it more &ust, more effective, and more

restorative to victims, offenders, and communities.

We pray for success in building a constituency for life, not death, to defend life, not tae it away.

Leader"We lift up all these hopes and visions in the ?ame of $esus, who taught us to pray, Our Father

ive participants a copy of the +hat #very Catholic Should


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%oday, in fact, as a conse>uence 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 taing away from him the possibility

of redeeming himself the cases in which the e=ecution of the offender is an absolute necessity are very rare, if not

practically none=istent.5 (22@


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$u,an Life

%hen +od said: "et us mae man in our image, after our lieness. "et them have dominion over the fish of the sea,

the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground. +od

created man in his image3 in the divine image he created him3 male and female he created them. ( n2:2@2


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they continued asing him, he straightened up and said to them, "et the one among you who is without sin be the first

to throw a stone at her. /gain he bent down and wrote on the ground. /nd in response, they went away one by one,

beginning with the elders. 'o he was left alone with the woman before him. %hen $esus straightened up and said to

her, Woman, where are they as no one condemned you 'he replied, ?o one, sir. %hen $esus said, ?either do 4

condemn you. +o, (and) from now on do not sin any more. ( >n9:B)

$esus refused to stone the woman accused of adultery ($n 9: ), reminding us to be cautious in &udging others and

to have hope in the possibility of reform and redemption.2

Discussion

What do these passages suggest about the source of human dignity and authority over another persons

life

What conse>uence did Cain e=pect as a punishment for murdering his brother ow did +od respond to

his crime

ow did $esus acnowledge the crime of the woman caught in adultery What limit did $esus place on thecommunity6s authority to punish her What opportunity and challenge did $esus offer the woman

ow does the sentencing of $esus to death by crucifi=ion and his forgiveness of those who crucified him

affect your position on the death penalty

%&&%C#I3%N%SS O& #$% D%A#$ P%NAL#'

Discussion Group $andout (.* PD&+

In this group, you will reflect on the effectiveness of the death penalty. 's! one or several people to read aloud and

consider the following information about the use of the death penalty in the ?.S., and then discuss what you have

read based on the "uestion which follows. 9ave one group member ta!e notes to summari&e your discussion for the

larger group. You will have )* minutes for your discussion.

Arbitrariness

+eography: :rom )88*%@AAA, B@ of the federal cases submitted to the 'ttorney eneral for review came from ;ust

* of the 8B federal districts. Including @) districts that have never submitted a case for review by the 'ttorney

eneral, BA of the 8B never recommended the death penalty for a defendant.B

#ace: / statistical study in 1hiladelphia found that for similar crimes committed by similar defendants, blacs received

the death penalty at a B9 higher rate than others.A 'tudies in ;aryland,5 ?ew $ersey,@ and ?orth Carolinauired to participate in a process they find morally

ob&ectionable.BB

*ur prisons must be transformed from warehouses of human failure and seedbeds of violence to places of

responsibility, rehabilitation, and restoration.BA DE 4t is time to turn away from a deeply flawed system of state

sponsored e=ecutions to a way of protecting society and holding accountable the truly guilty in a way that reflects our

society6s best values.B5

Discussion

ow does the Church6s teaching on the dignity of each individual life and on the social nature of each

human being (i.e. called to community) affect your perspective on the way the death penalty affectsindividuals, families, and societies

What effects does the use of the death penalty have on our efforts to build a culture of life and a society

which promotes the common good

ow could our criminal &ustice system change to respect human life and dignity more consistently

%ndnotes

I.g. %he Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the

foundation of a moral vision for society. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important

than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the

human person. (http:JJ)

2 I.g. %he person is not only sacred but also social. ow we organie our society in economics and politics, in law

and policy directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. We believe people

have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeing together the common good and wellbeing of all, especially

the poor and vulnerable. (http:JJ)

B Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, 0C: 7'CC, 2---).

A Cf. /!2B:AAB.

5 $ohn 1aul 44, #vangelium vitae5@.

@ 1ontifical Council for $ustice and 1eace, Compendium of the Social $octrine of the Church(Washington, 0C:

7'CC, 2--5), AA.

< 7nited 'tates Conference of Catholic ishops,' Culture of /ife and the 6enalty of $eath0 ' Statement of the

?nited States Conference of Catholic 4ishops Calling for an #nd to the ?se of the $eath 6enalty(Washington, 0C:


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7'CC, 2--5), A.

9 4bid., B. 'ee also 7nited 'tates Conference of Catholic ishops, 1esponsibility, 1ehabilitation, and 1estoration0 '

Catholic 6erspective on Crime and Criminal >ustice(Washington, 0C: 7'CC, 2---), 2


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B 4bid., 5, @.

B2 4bid., @.

BB 4bid.

BA 4bid., 9. 'ee also 7nited 'tates Conference of Catholic ishops, 1esponsibility, 1ehabilitation, and 1estoration0

' Catholic 6erspective on Crime and Criminal >ustice(Washington, 0C: 7'CC, 2---), B8.

B5' Culture of /ife and the 6enalty of $eath,2-.

1rivacy 1olicyL 'ite ;apLContact 7spvmA85M2-@ 7nited 'tates Conference of Catholic ishops;igration 1olicy?ational Collections?ational #eligious #etirement *ffice
http://www.usccb.org/about/privacy-policy.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/site-map.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/site-map.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/contact-us.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/contact-us.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/contact-us.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/http://www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/index.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/national-collections/index.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/national-religious-retirement-office/index.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/privacy-policy.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/site-map.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/contact-us.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/http://www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/index.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/national-collections/index.cfmhttp://www.usccb.org/about/national-religious-retirement-office/index.cfm

1 catholic teaching on death penalty.docx

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