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Capital Punishment/ The Death Penalty - Coggle Diagram
Capital Punishment/ The Death Penalty
Origin
In the early church, the teaching was that the death penalty was a form of lawful slaying
Pope Innocent I, Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas all defended the death penalty, stating that god establishes certain exceptions to the killing of another person, and that the death penalty is not considered homicide, as it is protecting citizens from enemies
Quotes
St Augustine
"The same divine authority that forbids the killing of a human being establishes certain exceptions, as when God authorizes killing by a general law"
Pope Innocent I
"It must be remembered that power was granted by God, and to avenge crime the sword was permitted; he who carries out this vengeance is God's minister"
Thomas Aquinas
"The life of certain pestiferous men is an impediment to the common good which is the concord of human society. Therefore, certain men must be removed by death from the society of men."
Old Testament
Genesis 9:6
"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed"
Stance today
"the death penalty is inadmissable because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person"
Martin Luther started the reformation period, stating that the burning criminals to death was immoral
Many Modern day popes believed that the killing through capital punishment was lawful
Pope John Paul II suggested that capital punishment should be avoided, which started a new wave of popes stances against the death penalty
Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have now both stated that they are against the death penalty, with Pope Benedict even calling for the abolition of the death penalty
Pope Francis also called for the abolition of life imprisonment, as he believes it is a variation of a death penalty
Quotes
Pope John Paul II
"ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity"
Pope Benedict XVI
"I draw the attention of society's leaders to the need to make every effort to eliminate the death penalty and to reform the penal system in a way that ensures respect for the prisoners' human dignity."
Pope Francis
"Today the death penalty is inadmissible, no matter how serious the crime committed."