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Catholic bishops challenge Duterte over death penalty

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhstEr204g0CXz541o00JhwFvqAredBV1Jjjjl8s6iEbA15PfLyzovyrEd3ktbiYebuqhmY7ujQur-d4Jrf7nbmcHoG67SrsKH-XJEjMwxes_Tn3F6qmFih3wLPRxq5FMwLFdvBNJ_A-w/s1600/Duterte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rodrigo Duterte" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhstEr204g0CXz541o00JhwFvqAredBV1Jjjjl8s6iEbA15PfLyzovyrEd3ktbiYebuqhmY7ujQur-d4Jrf7nbmcHoG67SrsKH-XJEjMwxes_Tn3F6qmFih3wLPRxq5FMwLFdvBNJ_A-w/s400/Duterte.jpg" title="Rodrigo Duterte" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rodrigo Duterte</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The Catholic Church in the Philippines will petition the new president against reintroducing the death penalty in the country, according to Fides.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The president of the Episcopal Conference of the Philippines, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, said he will seek a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte to urge him to stop his plans to reintroduce the death penalty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several bishops have challenged Duterte's plan to submit a measure to Philippine Congress to restore the death penalty, which was abolished in 2006.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He hopes to apply it for offences including drug offences, rape, robbery, car theft and corruption.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Archbishop of Lipa, Ramon Arguelles, disputed Duterte's claim that the death penalty is a deterrent towards crime. He said he hoped the move "does not happen, especially while the Church celebrates the year of mercy".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking at the Sixth World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Oslo last week, Pope Francis called the death penalty "unacceptable".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It is an offence to the inviolability of life and to the dignity of the human person. It likewise contradicts God's plan for individuals and society, and his merciful justice," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Nor is it consonant with any just purpose of punishment. It does not render justice to victims, but instead fosters vengeance. The commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' has absolute value and applies both to the innocent and to the guilty."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bishops in the Philippines echoed the Pope's sentiments.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"God alone has power over life. God gives life and God takes it away. No one should play God," said Bishop of Balanga, Ruperto Santos. Instead, the government should "reform... the judicial and prison system," he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: Christian Today, June 23, 2016</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmq0DhajTlJNqXpU-4Ix_7ZOCiPn9B9LcZmp-2OVpepvzVmmNcpde-Ui3Trpa5eyYQl4TMRNGCD-NPFQJi3jtFXEQuOSAQfcmqt-2z1T3LfMo1VuK3-KQmLFkUCNcLohAL7BSmAK-Ufc/s1600/Vatican+Pope+Francis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmq0DhajTlJNqXpU-4Ix_7ZOCiPn9B9LcZmp-2OVpepvzVmmNcpde-Ui3Trpa5eyYQl4TMRNGCD-NPFQJi3jtFXEQuOSAQfcmqt-2z1T3LfMo1VuK3-KQmLFkUCNcLohAL7BSmAK-Ufc/s320/Vatican+Pope+Francis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Bishops in Philippines will oppose bid to restore capital punishment</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Catholic bishops of the Philippines will strongly oppose a bit by newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte to restore the death penalty, the Fides news service reports.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, the president of the country's episcopal cofnerence, says that he will ask to meet with Duterte in a bid to dissuade him from his plan to reintroduce capital punishment. Several other bishops have made statements opposing that plan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Duterte campaigned for the presidency on a tough law-and-order platform, and argued for the execution of criminals convicted of grave crimes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: catholicculture.org, June 23, 2016</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Report an error, an omission:<a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com" target="_blank"> deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a></span> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <span style="font-size: small;"> - Follow us on <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </b>and <b><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b></span></div></div>

Catholic bishops challenge Duterte over death penalty

Rodrigo Duterte The Catholic Church in the Philippines will petition the new president against reintroducing the death penalty in the countr...

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Pope Francis: video message to Death Penalty conference

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikt8mwgcAJpAfjhNRoSs0flBD3EsD0ByU0ub_cmTsQyfnyO-2Ll102cmnD1ZsbfrWzpOQ65oHqYjBAOzCXyv6qccpkuduWDB1TMkqypFBeIaN-faDiKbgB-Ir1ADa8874Z4kBMzW6wpT0/s1600/Pope+Francis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pope Francis" border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikt8mwgcAJpAfjhNRoSs0flBD3EsD0ByU0ub_cmTsQyfnyO-2Ll102cmnD1ZsbfrWzpOQ65oHqYjBAOzCXyv6qccpkuduWDB1TMkqypFBeIaN-faDiKbgB-Ir1ADa8874Z4kBMzW6wpT0/s400/Pope+Francis.jpg" title="Pope Francis" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a video message to the participants in the Sixth World Conference Against the Death Penalty, taking place this week in Oslo, Norway. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Holy Father put his message in the key of the Year of Mercy, saying, “The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is an auspicious occasion for promoting worldwide ever more evolved forms of respect for the life and dignity of each person.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pope Francis goes on to say, “It must not be forgotten that the inviolable and God-given right to life also belongs to the criminal.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Please find the full text of the Holy Father’s message below:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">Message of His Holiness Pope Francis</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">Sixth World Congress Against the Death Penalty</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">Oslo, 21-23 June 2016</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">I greet the organizers of this World Congress against the death penalty, the group of countries supporting it, particularly Norway as its host country, and all those representatives of governments, international organizations and civil society taking part in it. I likewise express my personal appreciation, along with that of men and women of goodwill, for your commitment to a world free of the death penalty.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">One sign of hope is that public opinion is manifesting a growing opposition to the death penalty, even as a means of legitimate social defence.  Indeed, nowadays the death penalty is unacceptable, however grave the crime of the convicted person. It is an offence to the inviolability of life and to the dignity of the human person; it likewise contradicts God’s plan for individuals and society, and his merciful justice.  Nor is it consonant with any just purpose of punishment. It does not render justice to victims, but instead fosters vengeance. The commandment “Thou shalt not kill” has absolute value and applies both to the innocent and to the guilty.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is an auspicious occasion for promoting worldwide ever more evolved forms of respect for the life and dignity of each person. It must not be forgotten that the inviolable and God-given right to life also belongs to the criminal.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">Today I would encourage all to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty, but also for the improvement of prison conditions, so that they fully respect the human dignity of those incarcerated.  “Rendering justice” does not mean seeking punishment for its own sake, but ensuring that the basic purpose of all punishment is the rehabilitation of the offender. The question must be dealt with within the larger framework of a system of penal justice open to the possibility of the guilty party’s reinsertion in society. There is no fitting punishment without hope! Punishment for its own sake, without room for hope, is a form of torture, not of punishment.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">I trust that this Congress can give new impulse to the effort to abolish capital punishment. For this reason, I encourage all taking part to carry on this great initiative and I assure them of my prayers.</blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: <a href="http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/06/21/pope_francis_video_message_to_death_penalty_conference/1238843" target="_blank">Vatican Radio</a>, June 21, 2016</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Report an error, an omission:<a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com" target="_blank"> deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a></span> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <span style="font-size: small;"> - Follow us on <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </b>and <b><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b></span></div></div>