Sister Kathleen Ross, S.N.J.M, the former president of Heritage University called my attention to a rather informative website regarding the "Death Penalty" in Washington State.  Titled "Safe and Just Alternatives," this new campaign seeks to highlight the many shortcomings of the death penalty and reverse our current state's law in this area.  

 

Among the backers are Human Life of Washington, noted for its opposition to abortion.  It's always refreshing to see folks working together to create a consistent ethic of life.  There are so many public policy issues that demand our attention and, as a Church, we seek to assist our community in forming their consciences, enlightened and shaped by Church teaching.  This link might be a resource for your parish groups involved in life issues.  http://www.sjawa.org/home  

 

You might also want to note that in January of this year, Father Michael G. Ryan, pastor of St. James Cathedral in Seattle testified at the state legislature on behalf of the Washington State Catholic Conference on SB 6283 eliminating the death penatly.  Click here to review this testimony:  http://thewscc.org/images/stories/Resources/Leg2012/test12-dp.pdf

 

Finally, the section on the death penalty from the Catechism of the Catholic Church was revised in 1997.  Here's the link showing the revisions as well as other links explaining why: http://www.cacp.org/catechism.html

 

+Bishop Joseph Tyson