Oct. 13
GLOBAL:
Why Pope Francis' rejection of the death penalty is so important
In a major speech on Wednesday Oct. 11 Pope Francis said in blunt terms that
the death penalty is contrary to Gospel teaching. Given the setting and context
of the talk - a celebration marking the 25th anniversary of the Catechism of
the Catholic Church - Vatican observers speculated that a change in the
Catechism may be forthcoming. The passage in question (No. 2267) allows for the
death penalty in very rare cases. But now even that small window may be closed.
America reached out to Sister Helen Prejean, the author of Dead Man Walking and
longtime opponent of the death penalty, for her response to the news.
At last, a clear, uncompromising stance of moral opposition to the death
penalty by the highest authority of the church.
Words in official teachings matter. At death penalty trials, in state
legislatures and before pardon boards I have witnessed as pro-death penalty
district attorneys passed over the words of Jesus calling for forgiveness of
enemies to quote instead church teachings that they felt justified the
premeditated killing of criminals.
In New Orleans, I watched priests sent by the archbishop to the death penalty
trial of Willie Watson, an indigent African man, to assure Catholic jurors that
in good conscience they could vote for the state to kill Willie. Which, in
fact, the state did on July 24, 1987, electrocuting Mr. Watson to death in
Louisiana's (very busy) killing chamber.
This torture and killing in states continues today, terrible and mostly unseen,
and Pope Francis' words or a change in church teaching are not enough to change
that. Only we, the people, freshly awakened to the call of the Gospel can make
that transformation happen. First, we must meditate on and ingest the pope's
message so that the Gospel call in his words may set us on fire to act boldly,
pouring into death rows, legislative halls and stations of public dialogue to
persuade our citizens to truly become people of life.
May the Holy Spirit enliven our hearts and guide us all. Thank you, Pope
Francis. Again and again, you renew my hope.
(source: Sister Helen Prejean, americanmagazine.org)
*
UN: Death penalty has no place in 21st century
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the death penalty
on Oct. 10, insisting it has "no place in the 21st century."
He urged member states that still execute convicts to join the 170 countries
that have halted or abolished the practice, warning that the risk of a
miscarriage of justice is an "unacceptably high price" to pay.
"I want to make a plea to all states that continue this barbaric practice:
please stop the executions," Guterres said at an event marking the 15th World
Day Against the Death Penalty.
Capital punishment "does little to serve victims or deter crime," Guterres
said, adding that most of the U.N.'s 193 members do not carry out executions.
"Just last month, 2 African states - The Gambia and Madagascar - took major
steps towards irreversible abolition of the death penalty," he said.
"In 2016, executions worldwide were down 37 % from 2015. Today just four
countries are responsible for 87 % of all recorded executions," he added.
Guterres also called for transparency from states where the death penalty is
legal, asking them to let lawyers do their job.
"Some governments conceal executions and enforce an elaborate system of secrecy
to hide who is on death row, and why," Guterres said.
(source: Hurriyet Daily news)
PAKISTAN:
3 Ahmadis sentenced to death for blasphemy
3 members of Pakistan's persecuted Ahmadi sect have been sentenced to death for
blasphemy by a court in the central town of Sheikhupura, a community
spokesperson said.
Mubasher Ahmad, Ghulam Ahmed and Ehsan Ahmed were convicted by the court on
Wednesday for insulting Prophet Mohammad under the country's strict blasphemy
laws, Ahmadi community spokesperson Saleemuddin told Al Jazeera.
The 3 men were arrested in May 2014 after they tore down religious posters in
Bhoiwal, a village about 22km southwest of the city of Lahore.
Khalil Ahmed, a 4th accused, was shot and killed in police custody just days
after the incident took place.
While the accused claimed the posters carried anti-Ahmadi slogans, the
prosecution said they carried religious significance and that tearing them down
was tantamount to insulting the prophet.
Saleemuddin said that the Ahmadi community would challenge the trial court's
decision in the high court.
Ahmadis are a sect that consider themselves Muslim but whose faith is rejected
by the Pakistani state. There are around 600,000 Ahmadis in the country and
several million around the world.
Members of the sect face 3 years in prison for referring to themselves as
Muslim, to their places of worship as mosques or to their call to prayer as
"azaan" under Pakistani
