The Colosseum in Rome was lit up on November 29, 2012 in honor of Connecticut’s repeal of the death penalty back in April. Former California death row inmate Shujaa Graham, who was a featured speaker at the annual conference of the College Theology Society two years ago at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, was also in Rome to see the Read more
In an editorial, “Sometimes the death penalty is warranted,” in the Washington Post, Charles Lane observes that Anders Breivik, who murdered 77 people in Norway on July 22, 2011, declared that the maximum possible sentence for his action–21 years in prison or longer if certain conditions are met–is “pathetic.” The death penalty, which Norway abolished years ago, Breivik instead “would have respected.” As Read more
A New York Times article that appeared on Good Friday caught my attention because of the topic it covered and how it contrasted with the day on which it got published. If a Times editor wanted to quietly make a point with the timing of the article’s release, I would not be surprised. Given the intelligence of the Times staff and their Read more
On November 30th, during an address to members of the Catholic Sant’Egidio Community, Pope Benedict XVI offered some words concerning opposition to the death penalty. Here is the full text: Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our catechesis on prayer, we now turn to Jesus, who by his own example most fully reveals the mystery of Christian prayer. A significant moment in this Read more
The following is an invited guest post by Andrew Skotnicki, who is Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Manhattan College, and whose primary research interest is the theological and moral foundations of criminal justice. His books include Criminal Justice and the Catholic Church (Lanham, MD: Sheed and Ward, 2008) and Religion and the Development of the American Penal Read more
As an ecumenical expression of solidarity with our recent “A Catholic Call to Abolish the Death Penalty,” German Reformed theologian Jürgen Moltmann has issued the following brief statement (translated by Dr. Steffen Lösel), which I have been requested to post here at Catholicmoraltheology.com. Following his statement, I have provided a short comment. Dr. Moltmann’s Statement: The unjust killing of Troy Davis has filled the world Read more
There were two state-sanctioned executions in the United States on September 21, 2011. In Georgia, Troy Anthony Davis, an African American man, was put to death for the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. In Texas, Lawrence Brewer, a white supremacist, was executed for his participation in the racist hate crime dragging murder of James Byrd in Jasper in 1998. Read more
Some of the comments I’ve been seeing around the web relating to the post made here on abolishing the death penalty, or other news stories relating to the death penalty, seem to insinuate that calling for an end to the death penalty ignores the fact that abortion is also present in our culture. And, these comments insinuate, abortion always kills the innocent. Read more
Earlier this week, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief justice Stuart J. Rabner, wrote in 134-page unanimous court decision that the test for reliability of eyewitness testimony should be revised. The Court acknowledged a “troubling lack of reliability in eyewitness identifications” and issued new rules for defendants to challenge eye-witness evidence in criminal cases: The court said that whenever a defendant presents evidence Read more
Barack Obama gave an interview to 60 Minutes this past Sunday to talk about the attack on Osama bin Laden. It made absolutely compelling television, and the president was particularly sterling. The most intriguing question, I thought, came at the end, when Steve Kroft asked the President, “Is this the first time that you’ve ever ordered someone killed?” Obama’s response pointed to the power and gravity of the presidential office: “Well, Read more
Saturday Morning: 8:00 am
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:45 am,
12:30 pm, 5:30 pm
Saturday Vigil: 6:15pm
Sunday: 9:00am, 7:15pm
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 am
