MONTAI CONF! THOLIC ENCE ‘Montana Roman Catholic Bishops’ Call to Abolish the Death Penalty For Catholics working o cultivate a profound respect for life ata its stages, the ‘tue gauge of our success is how we teat the least among us. We often find those least among us onthe sees, in nursing homes, inthe womb, and on death ow. Across the county, individuals who face execution are not necessarily those who commit the worst ‘crimes; more often, they are the victims of | ‘oor representation and racial ‘isrimination, This discrepancy, coupled with the significantly higher cost ofthe death penalty over life imprisonment and the realty that more than 150 wrongly convicted people have Been exonerated from ‘death row, are more than adequate reasons to take a serous look atthe death penalty. But our position as Catholics extends even to those who did receive fair tal, dose who are gully ofthe most horrendous crimes. Augustine tells us tht ‘the image of God in everyone of us can ‘only be tarnished, but never wiped awa. Respect for life applies tall even those ‘who deny that respect to other ‘When addressing the question of capital punishment, we must not lose sight ofthe victims of erime and thei failes. ‘We seek to stand with them, minister among them, pray for their healing and sense of ‘wellbeing. In formulating our opposition to ‘the death penalty, we draw strength rom the loving example of so many vitins”Failos ‘who have rejected capital punishment asa system that denies the goodness and beauty oftheir loved ones and perpetuates an ‘unending eyele of violence. By standing in solidarity with the families of murder vitims, we also recognize that capital punishment re~ vetimizes family and friends through a drawn-out, well publicized process of sentencing, and appeals, inthe midst of Which the name oftheir foved ne ll but disappears. Aer the execution, the family ‘members ofthe offenders become victims of homicide themselves. The third te of victims consists of thse individuals who perform, condone, and fund the act of texocution, ftom the death house attendans to the governor and lawmakers to the average citizen. Herein Montana, the optional Sentence of life without parole guarantees thatthe worst offenders Wil lve out their ‘natural ives in prison. In addition, technological developments have ensured that when used coredy, our prisons keep the public sae from those who commit heinous eximes, With his ype of guarantee in place, the Church's teaching, as expressed in the late Saint Jon Paul I's eneylial The Gospel of Life, is very cleat: “If bloodless mean ae sufficient to defend hhuman lives against an aggressor andro protect public onder andthe safety of persons, pubic authority must limit self such means, because they beter correspond to the concrete conditions ofthe common ‘god and are more in conformity tothe dignity ofthe human person.” In keeping withthe Chureh’s teaching to utilize “bloodless means” and in witness othe forgiveness of sin and the promise of new life exemplified through the Suffering, death and resurrection of lesus, ‘ve al forthe abolition ofthe death penalty in Montana. Such a policy seures the safety and protection of our people, helps restore the common good, provides ‘opportunity for restorative justice, breaks the tragic eyleof violence, and ensures the prosperity ofa Culture of Life in the grest Stat of Montana. Most Rev. George Leo Thomas Bishop of Helena Most Rev. Michael W. Warfel Bishop of Great Falls-Billings 1313 Eleventh Avenue © PO Box 1708 Helena, MT 59624-1708 (406) 442-5761 « Fax: (406) 442-9047 » diretor@montanaceorg« wor montanacs.r8