Hartford, Conn., Apr 13, 2012 / 01:07 am
The Connecticut legislature’s passage of a bill to abolish the death penalty is “a wonderful step in the right direction,” says Michael C. Culhane, director of the state's Catholic conference.
“The Catholic Church supports the sanctity of life from conception until natural death,” he told CNA April 12. “The life, even of one who has committed a heinous crime, should not be taken.
The legislature voted on April 11 to end the death sentence for any future convictions. Eleven men presently remain on death row.
“I’m pleased the House passed the bill, and when it gets to my desk I will sign it,” Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said April 11. “Going forward, we will have a system that allows us to put these people away for life, in living conditions none of us would want to experience. Let’s throw away the key and have them spend the rest of their natural lives in jail.”