The pope’s message came two days after the Pentagon set a Dec. 3 firing squad for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Cardinal Parolin called the plan “incomprehensible,” and Americans agree.
Are there "serious consequences" for the mass death and suffering that Hegsdeath and #47 and company have directly and often gleefully caused? And while we're at it, the mass death and suffering indirectly but definitely caused by far-right powerful people gleefully enacting their "policies"? No? Different strokes for different folks and cherry-picked "justice" reigns supreme, just like the way the Supreme Court justices operate?
I nearly choked when I read and heard about this ... it is deplorable. I am glad the United States Bishops and Pope Leo are speaking out about it .... we need ALL religious congregations and churches to speak out.....
JD Vance's ambition seems always at odds with his faith. He's a great example of the problem of trying to serve two masters. He won't watch the execution, but his political allegiances and ambition don't allow him take a stand against the act itself.
Some of us wonder if he is truly a Catholic - or if this is politically expedient for him. It's possible that people high up in the Vatican may also have thoughts about this. One must live and act by one's faith - not just when there is no risk.
Only people who don’t know much about the Catholic Church think this is a new position. In 1999 pope John Paul II spoke against the death penalty in St. Louis. The previous edition of the catechism said it was almost never necessary and deprived a person of a chance to repent.
This whole scenario is wretched. The man deserves to spend his life in prison.
But …
Consider the fact that he is wheelchair bound. If Hegseth wants to make this the ultimate spectacle, I don’t think it’s going to go the way he presumes. The soldiers will be shooting at someone in a wheelchair or someone who has been tied to posts to make him stand. This whole grotesque scenario is a heartbreaking thing to contemplate.
The death penalty in essence says that someone is irredeemable by the work of Christ. Do we really want to say this? Do we want to say that there is actually someone whom Christ cannot draw from the grips of hell and bring him to himself? Who is that person? Who made in the image of God deserves to not be brought to God?
The other equally horrible thing about the planned televising of this execution is that it would set a standard by which our own soldiers would be unsafe. If we cross this horrible, horrible bridge we will set future men and women in the military up to be executed publicly as well. Do not do this! This not only does not reflect the spirit and love of Christ, it repeats the very hatred of Empire which took Jesus's life in the first place.
“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a conservative outlet on Thursday. The execution is set for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Al Jazeera reported, the same hour Hasan opened fire 17 years ago. President Donald Trump had authorized the firing squad on Monday.”
The low sink even lower. May God have mercy on us all.
Are there "serious consequences" for the mass death and suffering that Hegsdeath and #47 and company have directly and often gleefully caused? And while we're at it, the mass death and suffering indirectly but definitely caused by far-right powerful people gleefully enacting their "policies"? No? Different strokes for different folks and cherry-picked "justice" reigns supreme, just like the way the Supreme Court justices operate?
I nearly choked when I read and heard about this ... it is deplorable. I am glad the United States Bishops and Pope Leo are speaking out about it .... we need ALL religious congregations and churches to speak out.....
The whole idea is beyond disgusting!
JD Vance's ambition seems always at odds with his faith. He's a great example of the problem of trying to serve two masters. He won't watch the execution, but his political allegiances and ambition don't allow him take a stand against the act itself.
Spot on, Lisa. Perfectly stated. 🫶🏼
Some of us wonder if he is truly a Catholic - or if this is politically expedient for him. It's possible that people high up in the Vatican may also have thoughts about this. One must live and act by one's faith - not just when there is no risk.
Hegseth is one sick individual.
Abdul El-Sayed called it. It’s machismo. Hegseth is insecure and wants to be a tough guy.
Only people who don’t know much about the Catholic Church think this is a new position. In 1999 pope John Paul II spoke against the death penalty in St. Louis. The previous edition of the catechism said it was almost never necessary and deprived a person of a chance to repent.
This whole scenario is wretched. The man deserves to spend his life in prison.
But …
Consider the fact that he is wheelchair bound. If Hegseth wants to make this the ultimate spectacle, I don’t think it’s going to go the way he presumes. The soldiers will be shooting at someone in a wheelchair or someone who has been tied to posts to make him stand. This whole grotesque scenario is a heartbreaking thing to contemplate.
The executioners will be young soldiers who have to live with this horrible act the rest of their lives. My heart aches for them. 💔
The death penalty in essence says that someone is irredeemable by the work of Christ. Do we really want to say this? Do we want to say that there is actually someone whom Christ cannot draw from the grips of hell and bring him to himself? Who is that person? Who made in the image of God deserves to not be brought to God?
The other equally horrible thing about the planned televising of this execution is that it would set a standard by which our own soldiers would be unsafe. If we cross this horrible, horrible bridge we will set future men and women in the military up to be executed publicly as well. Do not do this! This not only does not reflect the spirit and love of Christ, it repeats the very hatred of Empire which took Jesus's life in the first place.
This is some of the best and most penetrating writing that you have done.
“A death staged for an audience
“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a conservative outlet on Thursday. The execution is set for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Al Jazeera reported, the same hour Hasan opened fire 17 years ago. President Donald Trump had authorized the firing squad on Monday.”
The low sink even lower. May God have mercy on us all.
This is an atavism, a backward step in the evolution of culture.