DEATH PENALTY

Intro
-The death penalty is the planned killing of a person convicted of a corporal crime.

Social Views
-As of right now, the death penalty is allowed in 32 of the 50 states
-Many states are abolishing the death penalty

Catholic Church Teaching
- The Catholic Church teaches that we should never take the life of another human being
- We should also try and help that person to change their life around

- The Church does however allow for someone to be killed for the protection of others only if it is a dire need and there are no other ways to prevent them from hurting others.

-The Church teaches these things because of the fifth commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill"

Inform Your Conscience
Ask yourself:
Is what the person did serious enough?
Should we really try to solve crime with death?
Will this lead to even more death?

Virtue
Justice
While one could argue that justice would be served by killing a criminal, our dignity as humans states that we all have a right to live, and no human may hold another human's life in his/her hands.

Patron Saint
Saint Dismas
He is the patron saint of inmates on death row, because he was crucified alongside Jesus

SOURCES

• http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm
• http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-dismas/
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church