Vatican opposes Saddam’s death sentence
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Vatican City, Nov 6, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Vatican officials said Sunday that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein should not be put to death, even though he has been found guilty of committing crimes against humanity.

Iraq's High Tribunal on Sunday found Saddam guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to death by hanging. However, Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Council for Justice and Peace, said carrying out the death sentence would be an unjustifiably vindictive action, reported Reuters.

"For me, punishing a crime with another crime, which is what killing for vindication is, would mean that we are still at the point of demanding an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," he was quoted as saying by Italian news agency Ansa.

"Unfortunately, Iraq is one of the few countries that have not yet made the civilized choice of abolishing the death penalty," he said.

The Church is generally against the death penalty. It argues that modern society has all the means necessary to render a criminal harmless for the rest of his natural life without capital punishment.

Fr. Michele Simone, deputy director of the Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica, told Vatican Radio that opposing the death penalty does not mean accepting what the former leader has done.

"Certainly, the situation in Iraq will not be resolved by this death sentence. Many Catholics, myself included, are against the death penalty as a matter of principle," the Jesuit priest was quoted as saying.

"Even in a situation like Iraq, where there are hundreds of de facto death sentences every day, adding another death to this toll will not serve anything," he said.

The death sentence automatically goes to a nine-judge appeals panel, which has unlimited time to review the case. If the verdict and sentence are upheld, Iraqi law stipulates that the execution must be carried out within 30 days.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Hans Bakke
Ridge, NY USA 04/02/2007 02:12 PM EST
We can forgive those who trespass against us but not those who trespass against another. Doesn't even make sense!
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Published by: Fr. Dave Kozak
Allentown,Pa. USA 11/09/2006 08:59 PM EST
Ignoring the current magisterium of the Church in favor of of self-determined "traditional teaching of the Church" is rank disobedience and CAFETERIA CATHOLICISM of the worst type. Modern incarceration in a high tech hell hole like Guantanamo or Abu Garib should be sufficient to put Sadam out of comission and render him harmless. Anything beyond that is unChristian, vengance and blood-lust.
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Published by: Karen Neysmith
Canada 11/09/2006 06:40 PM EST
To Jack Leone..Only when
one repents of his sin can he be forgiven..Let's not confuse things here! We are dealing with a mass
and cruel murderer of his
own people!
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Published by: Bernard Toussaint
United States 11/09/2006 01:17 PM EST
The traditional teaching of the Church has never been that capital punishment is murder, nor that its sole purpose was to restain the criminal from repeating his crime.
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Published by: Dorothy Swingle
Zanesville, Ohio USA 11/07/2006 09:15 PM EST
You people are sick,Saddam is also.
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Published by: Fr. Dave Kozak
Allentown,Pa. USA 11/07/2006 09:32 AM EST
What an outpouring of blood-lust! "the ONLY POSSIBLE WAY OF DEFENDING HUMAN LIVES..."
This sounds like the very last resort to me. We are experts at building impenetrable prisons for terrorists-like Guantanamo and Abu Garib. Why not put him there? Or should they be closed down because they are immoral and contrary to our nation's values. Amen!
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Published by: Dominic White
South Africa 11/07/2006 02:13 AM EST
It saddens me that the verdict of a hidden tribunal, stating acts put into place after America's invasion, with a verdict given 2 days before American congressional elections can be supported at all. Even if Saddam is an evil man, we cannot and should not accept the verdict of a court with so many doubts cast over it.

As for permanent incarceration, America has managed to keep very many people 'permanently' incarcerated, even if it violates their human rights. In many cases this incarceration occurs in 'secret' prisions. I am sure they would be capable of the same for Saddam.

I think South Africa is a wonderful example here. PW Botha a force of the apartheid regieme who refused to appear at the Truth and Reconcilliation council once it was done with was still able to live out his life in South Africa. This is the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness that Iraq needs. Not a forced execution in the light of a country divided.
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Published by: Robert Dejong
Calgary Canada 11/06/2006 04:16 PM EST
Would we have executed Adolf Hitler? Of course, the answer is YES! As long as Saddam is alive, there is a strong possibility that he would not stay in jail, and would regain power quickly! The death penalty has its place.
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Published by: Mike McCaffrey
Yarmouthport, MA 02675 11/06/2006 04:09 PM EST
This tests one's Christian values, for surely Saddam is the devil. For those who arhue the case for execution, let them spend their time defending the idea of a "just" war. That, also, is a bit of a stretch for people who ask what would Jesus want?
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Published by: Loretta J.
Atlanta GA 11/06/2006 04:08 PM EST
Saddam should be executed for crimes against humanity. You jail bank thieves, arsonists, tax evaders and the likes. Justice here demands more than
this!
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Published by: Christina Stoner
Dillsburg, PA USA 11/06/2006 03:22 PM EST
The good Cardinal needs to check the Cathechism of the Catholic Church, specifically #2267 "Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does NOT EXCLUDE recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor." Saddam still has his contacts. He will continue to be a threat to humanity as long as he is alive.
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Published by: Aimee Milburn
USA 11/06/2006 02:53 PM EST
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety ... authority will limit itself to such means ... as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm." (#2267)

Given the instability of Iraq, I'm not sure that the state - or any state - could guarantee Saddam’s permanent incarceration, that he would never be able to break free or be broken free, and so guarantee that he would never again be able to wreak murderous havoc on innocent people. In his case, given the country’s situation, the death penalty may be justified from the Catholic perspective. We must pray for the conversion of his soul.
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Published by: Fr. Dave Kozak
Allentown,Pa. USA 11/06/2006 02:36 PM EST
Finally, a consistent teaching regarding the Divine gift of life. The Holy Spirit is speaking and convicting countries such as Iraq and the U.S. May God forgive our spilling of blood.
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Published by: Jack Leone
Wantagh, NY 11/06/2006 12:58 PM EST
I agree. The death penalty is wrong and vindictive. As a Catholic, we must forgive no matter how hard it can be. At times it sure can be difficult. The Lord is about forgiveness. Executing Saddam isn't going to bring back the many, many people that he had killed.
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