Harrisburg, Pa., Dec 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Pennsylvania's Catholic bishops have appealed to Gov. Ed Rendell to do whatever is within his power to stop the execution of George Banks, scheduled to take place today.
Although a stay of execution was issued by the Commonwealth Court Nov. 30, the execution may still take place as scheduled depending on a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling. This being the case, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference has submitted a letter of appeal to the governor yesterday.
In the letter, the bishops urge Rendell to "do everything in (his) power to prevent the execution of Mr. Banks." They add: "Punishment should reflect the belief in the inherent human dignity of each person."
The bishops’ position on the death penalty is nothing new. They made their opposition to the death penalty clear in their 2001 statement, “The Death Penalty: Choose Life.”