The pope and the death penalty

Pope changes teaching to oppose death penalty in all cases (Guardian)

Pope Francis declares death penalty inadmissible in all cases (BBC)

With death penalty change, Francis builds on John Paul II's teaching (NCR)

Pope Francis can say that the moon is made of cream cheese, nevertheless, it changes nothing.

For Francis to push to outlaw the death penalty he is directly being contrary to Holy Scripture, authored by God.

I think this must be a heretical act (another in the long line of...)

What is your idea of the Biblical SUPPOrT of
the death penalty? If itʻs the Cain story, that does just the reverse: God gives Cain PROTECTION against being killed.

>3 rolandperkins:

To quote Ed Feser...

...the Church has always taught, clearly and consistently, that the death penalty is in principle consistent with both natural law and the Gospel. This is taught throughout scripture—from Genesis 9 to Romans 13 and many points in between—and the Church maintains that scripture cannot teach moral error. It was taught by the Fathers of the Church, including those Fathers who opposed the application of capital punishment in practice. It was taught by the Doctors of the Church, including St. Thomas Aquinas, the Church’s greatest theologian; St. Alphonsus Liguori, her greatest moral theologian; and St. Robert Bellarmine, who, more than any other Doctor, illuminated how Christian teaching applies to modern political circumstances.

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/08/pope-francis-and-capital-puni...

This latest Papal pronouncement sits with other scandals...

Nor is the problem confined to capital punishment. This latest development is part of a by-now familiar pattern. Pope Francis has made statements that appear to contradict traditional Catholic teaching on contraception, on marriage and divorce, grace, conscience, and Holy Communion, and other matters. He has also persistently refused to clarify his problematic statements, even when clarification has been formally and respectfully requested by eminent theologians and members of the hierarchy. The effect is to embolden those who want to reverse other traditional teachings of the Church, and to demoralize those who want to uphold those teachings.

But back to CP. If the Pope is correct then...

If capital punishment is wrong in principle, then the Church has for two millennia consistently taught grave moral error and badly misinterpreted scripture. And if the Church has been so wrong for so long about something so serious, then there is no teaching that might not be reversed, with the reversal justified by the stipulation that it be called a “development” rather than a contradiction. A reversal on capital punishment is the thin end of a wedge that, if pushed through, could sunder Catholic doctrine from its past—and thus give the lie to the claim that the Church has preserved the Deposit of Faith whole and undefiled.

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/08/pope-francis-and-capital-puni...

It is a very good article and worth reading in full.

Thanks for your answer. You imply that the early Church Fathers, not the "Holy Scriptures" is your source for the Churchʻs support of the death penalty.

>5 rolandperkins:

So I guess you intentionally overlooked the above...

This is taught throughout scripture—from Genesis 9 to Romans 13 and many points in between—and the Church maintains that scripture cannot teach moral error.

>6 LesMiserables:

I don't have the pope's argument in front of me at this moment, but if I recall correctly he is not saying that it was always wrong in the past nor that "the Church has for two millennia consistently taught grave moral error"*. The teaching of the last two or three popes has been that it may have been permissible if it is was the only way of protecting society from a dangerous murderer, but that in this modern day and age there are other and better ways of protecting society so there is no longer any justification for capital punishment. I think his argument is more nuanced that his detractors care to acknowledge, and more in line with John Paull II and Benedict XVI.

Talking of scriptire, when Jesus was faced with a woman sentenced to death under the customs and laws of that age, he did not condemn the death sentence but simply said, "Let the one who is without sin throw the first stone". If we were to apply that simple gospel imperative to capital punishment today we would not need to argue about whether it is right or wrong, we would simply admit that there is nobody qualified to impose or carry out a death sentence.

* Incidentally, the First Things website that you quote in >4 LesMiserables: is not a church authority, simply the website of an institute with a particular and stated bias.

>2 LesMiserables: Holy Scripture, authored by God

Incidentally, while Catholics certainly do believe that Holy Scripture is authored by God, the context in which you are using this sounds quite bible literalist, which is a relatively recent protestant evangelical position, certainly not a Catholic one. Catholic teaching, going back at least as far as Augustine's comments on Genesis, takes a more nuanced exegetical and hermeneutical approach.

>7 John5918:

The teaching of the last two or three popes has been that it may have been permissible if it is was the only way of protecting society from a dangerous murderer, but that in this modern day and age there are other and better ways of protecting society so there is no longer any justification for capital punishment.

I don't think this retort stands up to serious scrutiny. Take away the Western 1st world bias, and you will find that many many countries cannot protect even their own citizens from each other, never mind those guilty of capital crimes.

Incidentally, the First Things website that you quote in >4 LesMiserables: LesMiserables: is not a church authority, simply the website of an institute with a particular and stated bias.

>8 John5918:

Incidentally, while Catholics certainly do believe that Holy Scripture is authored by God....

There you go, you should have stopped there.