Death Penalty Prayer Vigil

Following is the prepared text for Bishop Olmsted’s remarks at the Prayer Vigil for Clarence Dixon and an end to the death penalty in Arizona.

May 10, 2022

As Jesus was dying on the Cross as a condemned criminal, the mother of Jesus was there. Luke describes it this way (Lk 23:33-43),

“They crucified Jesus with two criminals, one on His right and the other on His left…Now one of the criminals …reviled Jesus… The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, ‘Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal. Then, he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ He replied to him, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise’.”

Before Jesus’ sacrificial death, Mary heard the prayerful appeal of the repentant criminal, and she heard her beloved Son respond with the promise of eternal life. All this Mary pondered in her heart, pierced by the sorrow of seeing the crucifixion of her innocent Son but also moved by witnessing His Holy Sacrifice which was already redeeming a repentant criminal.

Surely, Mary the Mother of Jesus is with us this evening and is close to the victims and families impacted by horrendous crimes such as the one of which Clarence Dixon was convicted. At the same time, Mary remembers the sincere repentance of the Good Thief and the abundant mercy with which Jesus looked upon him. At every moment of our lives, even in the last hour, the Lord offers us the freedom to be converted and live. For Jesus does not desire the death of the sinner but that he humbly turn back to the Father and be forgiven.

Durante una Misa en St. Louis, Missouri, en enero 1999, el Santo Padre Juan Pablo II dijo: “La nueva evangelización llama a seguidores de Cristo que sean incondicionalmente pro-vida: que anuncien, celebren y sirvan el Evangelio de la vida en cada situacion. Un signo de esperanza es el reconocimiento cada vez mayor de que la dignidad de la vida humana nunca debe ser arrebatada.”

Tristemente, mañana, nuestro estado de Arizona estará llevando a cabo una ejecución. Por eso, estamos reunidos esta noche para orar por las victimas de violencia y sus familias, por el alma de los que se encuentran sentenciados a muerte, y por los lideres cívicos de nuestro estado para que logren abolir la muerte innecesaria a través de la pena de muerte. Dice el Catecismo (#2267), “La pena de muerte es inadmisible, porque atenta contra la inviolabilidad y la dignidad de la persona.”

As Jesus was dying on the Cross, He cried out in anguish to His heavenly Father with the words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress. O my God, I call by day and you give no reply, I call by night and I find no peace.” Perhaps the same cry of anguish arose from the family of the victim of the man scheduled for execution tomorrow, or from the family of the man sentenced to die. These cries of anguish are not disregarded by those who argue against the use of the death penalty. But we who oppose the death penalty are convinced that even a terrible crime does not remove the human dignity of the criminal. Everyone is created in the image and likeness of God, and for every human person, even the greatest sinner, Jesus suffered and died on the Cross to redeem us from our sins.

When St. Pope John Paul II spoke against the use of the death penalty, he referred to God’s pardon of Cain and the protection that He provided him. Frequently, during his papacy, he called for an end to the death penalty. When, for example, he visited Saint Louis, Missouri, 27 January 1999, he said,

“A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. Modern Society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform. I renew the appeal I made most recently at Christmas for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary.”

Catholic teaching on the death penalty does not stand in a vacuum. As a mother, the Church has the deepest compassion for those victimized by brutal crimes as well as their families. Accordingly, we need always to pray for the healing of all those affected by these crimes.  Use of the death penalty in our nation today is not wrong because it is the equivalent of intrinsically evil killing such as abortion, assisted suicide or euthanasia.  These actions involve the taking of innocent human life and are never justifiable in any situation whatsoever. Yet even though the death penalty is not considered intrinsically evil, the Catholic Church remains troubled by its use in contemporary society, and is convinced that it is not needed today.  We believe all human life, each human person – from conception to death – is sacred. Recall the Lord’s words (Lev 20: 26), “To me you shall be sacred; for I, the Lord, am sacred.”

But does not the criminal convicted of a horrible crime lose his life’s sanctity? A better way to put the question might be this: is a convicted murderer no longer made in the image of God? Certainly, he ought to be punished in keeping with the gravity of the crime.  Certainly, society must be protected against someone proven to be murderous.  But even a murderer is not outside of the infinite mercy of God. The possibility for true repentance and salvation remains for every person as long as he is still alive. Furthermore, use of the death penalty, when other means are available to keep society safe, is problematic to the community at large because it actually contributes to a “culture of death.”  Such a “solution” uses killing to solve a problem that has other viable solutions.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called for the abolishment of the death penalty. For example, he said  (11 October 2017; CCL 2267) : “…the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.” It contributes to a culture of death. We call for the abolition of the death penalty in every state in America and in every land. Tonight, in particular we pray for Clarence Dixon, that if the execution takes place, he may die with a repentant and contrite heart. In union with Mary, we pray, Lord, have mercy on us all.