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Pastor’s Corner for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, by Fr. Bruce Botha SJ

The death penalty and all forms of execution whether condoned by law, State Institutions or Cultural Tradition, are nothing else but wilful killing and murder. According to Amnesty international statistics 108 countries have already abolished the death penalty completely, 28 other countries have had no executions for the past ten years and 55 countries still retain statutory executions.

 

South Africa is one of the countries that have abolished the death penalty completely but as crime in our country escalates, especially violent crime, the voices calling for the return of the death penalty get louder.

Will the death penalty really bring an end to crime, especially violent crime? The reality is that the death penalty is not a deterrent. Most countries that have abolished the death penalty have relatively little violent crime. The call for the return of the death penalty is a return to the Old Testament way of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

 

The Pope’s prayer intention for September calls us to take the way of Jesus and to pray for the abolition of the death penalty in all countries.

 

“God Father who left us in Jesus Christ the source of forgiveness and mercy before all human misery; give us the courage to oppose with determination the death penalty as punishment. No crime, no matter how terrible can escape the power of conversion and infinite mercy. With confidence in your loave and mercy we ask you to send your Holy Spirit to inspire us with his wisdom so that throughout the world we can eliminate this scourge, finding alternative ways to repair the damage and rescue from death the aggressors who provoke it.  Amen”

 

Fr. Bruce Botha SJ