8/12/2019 Converting From Death to Life - Our Sunday Visitor August 20, 2006 by Stephen James

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OUR SUNDAY VISITOR l AUGUST 20, 20

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MORALITY

The most recent USCCBpolling on the issue, completedn 2005,showed a dramatic drop

n Catholic support for capitalpunishment.We found that sup-port for the use of the deathpenal ty among AmericanCatholics has plunged in the pastfew years, Zogby InternationalPresident John Zogby said at theime the results were released.

The polling revealed that lesshan 48 percent ofadult Catholicsupport the use of the death

penalty,while 47 percent oppose.And while every conversion ismportant,some are more high-

profile and therefore more poten-ially influential than others.

Archbishop convertsWhen the 2005 poll was

released,one of those high-pro-f i l e convers ions , CardinalTheodore McCarrick, retiredarchbishop of Washington,D.C.,reflected on his own transfor-mation from death-penalty sup-porter to opponent. CardinalMcCarrick said that supportinghe death penalty was an inher-

ent part of growing up in a fam-ly that had a lot of police offi-

cers. But the call of Pope JohnPaul II and his position as aChurch teacher and pastor,com-pelled him to evolve.

I have come to believe thedeath penalty hurts all of us, notust the one being executed, heaid. It diminishes and contra-

dicts our respect for all humanife and dignity.

Andrew Rivas,the U.S.bishopspolicy adviser on criminal-jus-ice issues, explained that con-

ve r s io n s l ike C a r din a lMcCarricks can have an influ-ence on obstinate, pro-deathpenalty Catholics. I think thatgives people a little bit morencentive and makes them feel

more comfortable in at least talk-

ing about it, he said. And thenonce they get to talking about it,then we start changing their

minds.

Growing reservationsIn California, another influ-

ential and long-time pro-deathpenalty Catholic has recentlyexpressed his own reservationsabout capital punishment.Appointed to the Ventura Countybench in 1974 by then-Gov.Ronald Reagan, Judge CharlesMcGrath was a lifelong law-and-order Republican and death-penalty proponent. Known as astrict jurist throughout his career,McGrath refused to allow pleabargains in his courtroom untila higher court ruling forced him

to change the policy.McGrath attributes the for-

mation of his judicial philoso-phy to his conservative Irish-Catholic upbringing. Over hiscareer, the 68-year-old judgepresided over several death-penalty cases,and in two ofthem,sentenced the defendant to dieby lethal injection.

Bold requestIn an unprecedented reversal

last January,McGrath asked Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger to changethe sentence one of those defen-dants,Michael Morales,to life inprison without the possibility ofparole.Morales was convicted ofraping and killing a teen girl in1981.

Citing new evidence in the casethat indicated key prosecutiontestimony was tainted,McGrathtold Californias governor thatexecuting Morales would con-stitute a grievous and freakishinjustice.Schwarzenegger,also aCatholic, denied the request.However,Morales was granted anindefinite stay of execution afterthe courts could not find quali-

fied medical professionals toadminister the lethal injection.The state is now reviewing itslethal-injection policies.

McGrath, who attends Massat Santa Clara Parish in Oxnard,is a reserved man and not prone

to exaggerated introspection.Hewas reluctant to say much moreabout the Morales case.And sincehe is still an active judge, hedeclines to say outright whetherhe supports capital punishment,but does admit that his once-stringent beliefs have evolved.

Im a little dubious about theefficacy of the death penalty,heexplained. But it appears hisreservations actually began toevolve several years ago.

While reflecting back on hiscareer after he retired to part-timestatus in 1997, McGrath told alocal reporter that sentencingsomeone to death was the hard-est decision a judge could make.He also expressed doubts aboutthe effectiveness and practical-ity of the death penalty.

The appeals are interminable.We could use our judicialresources in other ways.Nobodyreally argues any more that its adeterrent, he said. I am begin-ning to feel its not worth all thetrouble.

Stephen James writes from

California.

Converting from death to lifeHow two former capital-punishment supporters

had changes of heart and took public stances

Judge Charles McGrathPHOTO BY GUY W. KITCHENS

Cardinal TheodoreMcCarrick CNS PHOTO BOB ROLLER

By Stephen James

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

expends considerable effort to educate pro-death

penalty Catholics with the intention of persuading them

to reconsider their positions and more closely align with

Church teaching on the often emotionally charged issue.

The results of the long-term re-education process have been

incremental, but consistently encouraging.

Bring the current

events and press-

ing issues affect-ing your parish-

ioners into your

lesson plans and

group activities

with the weekly

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Attention Parish Leaders:

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR l APRIL23,2006

11

In FocusEnvironmentalism

GoodstewardshipofGodscreationismorethanabuzzword:ItsaChristian

mandate.Hereshowtogetthere

ISTOCK

Init , t heUC LAprofessorblamesenvironmental degradation on Jews,ChristiansandMuslimsforinterpretingtheBookof Genesistomean thatGodcreatedtheearthformansbenefit.Thatnarrative,hecharges,meansthatnoiteminthephysicalcreationhadanypurposesavetoservemans purposes.

Thats a misunderstanding oftheBiblesfirstchapter,saidS isterFoley,amemberofthe CongregationofNotreDame,who teaches theology and reli-giousstudies.

Godscommandtosubduetheearthisoft enc it edasjust ificat ionforwhat

humanbeingshave done,shesaid.Thatraisesa question,andtherest

ofthecourseis aresponseto thatques-tion.

ThestudentsaredirectedtoScripture,Christiantextsand thewritingsof theChurchfatherstolearnwhattheChurchteachesaboutmansresponsibilitytotheenvironment.

And its not what White wrote.Ithinkthatweneedtoread[Genesis]

inthecontextofthehumanpersonbeingmadeint heimageofGod,sot heeart hshould be treated the way God treats theearth,SisterFoleysaid.Sothestudents

discover,sometimestotheirsurprise,thathumanbeingsdamagingtheearthis notonlynotin keepingwiththe strongestChristiantraditionaboutnature,butgoesagainst it.

DefendingallcreationTheC hurchssupport ofenviron-

mentalstewardshipismadeclear intheCompendium ofthe Social Doctrine ofthe Church,iss ued in 2004 by thePontifical Council forJustice and Peace.

Environmental issues,the councilnot ed,are incrisisint here lat ionshipbetweenmanand theenvironment.

StoriesbyMaryann

GogniatEidemiller

SisterMaryAnneFoleybegins

hercourseGodandtheEarth

attheUniversityofScranton,aJesuit

schoolinPennsylvania,withLynn

WhiteJr.s1967essay,TheH istorical

RootsofOurEcologicalCrisis.

Call Jane today at

(800) 348-2440, Ext. 2583.

A68POOSV

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