All Life is Sacred – Innocent or Flawed
Bishops Also Oppose Proposition 66 Which Would Speed Up Executions
SACRAMENTO, CA – In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we, the Catholic Bishops of California, support Proposition 62, which would abolish the use of the death penalty in California.
Our commitment to end the practice of capital punishment is based on our Catholic faith and our pastoral experience.
The Foundation of Our Faith
All life is sacred – innocent or flawed – just as Jesus Christ taught and repeatedly demonstrated through His ministry. This focus on the sacredness of human life is fundamental to Christianity and is expressed most eloquently in the two great commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)
Jesus makes it clear that to love God, we must love our neighbor. Each of us carries an intrinsic value because we are created in the image of God.
Accompanying Victims of Crime
Our support for abolishing the death penalty is also rooted in our firm resolve to accompany and support all victims of crime. These individuals suffer the painful and lasting consequences of criminal acts. While we pray for them and accompany them in their grief, we also insist that the current use of the death penalty does not promote healing. It only brings more violence to a world already saturated with it.
Reasons to Abolish the Death Penalty (Proposition 62)
The Bishops of the United States have long opposed the use of capital punishment. Proposition 62 gives voters the opportunity to eliminate this practice in California, which has been shown to have severe and irrevocable flaws:
- Risk of executing the innocent: In the lengthy process of ensuring an innocent person is not executed, many accused individuals have been exonerated as new forms of forensic investigation have allowed for better scrutiny of evidence.
- High cost: The high cost of implementing the death penalty has diverted resources from other more constructive and beneficial programs for both rehabilitation and the recovery of victims and offenders.
- Inconsistent application: Research has repeatedly shown that the death penalty is applied inconsistently among individuals, depending on race, economic status, and geographic area.
Opposition to Proposition 66
For all these reasons, we also must oppose Proposition 66, which would speed up executions in California. The search for a just and humane process for executions has failed for decades. Any rush to streamline that process will inevitably result in the execution of more innocent people.
A Call from Pope Francis
The faithful have heard the words of the Popes to end this practice throughout the world. As Pope Francis has said:
A sign of hope is found in the growing public opposition to the death penalty. In modern society, we have the means to effectively suppress crime without definitively denying offenders the chance to reform… The commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” has absolute value and applies to both the innocent and the guilty.
(February 21, 2016 – Angelus)
In November – the month in which the Year of Mercy concludes – Californians will have the opportunity to embrace justice and mercy. We fervently encourage all voters: prayerfully consider supporting Proposition 62 and opposing Proposition 66.