“The floor of hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.” So said St. Athanasius in the fourth century.
If he could only see us now.
Consider the following statement released by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in response to the execution of Domineque Ray:
The execution of Domineque Ray deeply troubles us. The death penalty itself is an affront to human dignity, and the Church has long called for its abolition in the United States and around the world. Mr. Ray bore the further indignity of being refused spiritual care in his last moments of life, in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Alabama law. This unjust treatment is disturbing to people of all faiths, whether Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or otherwise. People deserve to be accompanied in death by someone who shares their faith. It is especially important that we respect this right for religious minorities. As Pope Francis said during his recent trip to the United Arab Emirates, ‘What we are called to do as believers is to commit ourselves to the equal dignity of all.’ Let us make this commitment today.
How is it possible to fit so much effeminacy and heresy into such a short passage? Try as we might, only a US bishop can excel at such an achievement.
Before we correct this obnoxious drivel, it must be said that one of the co-authors of this statement is Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, KY, who was quick to put out a statement criticizing the Covington Catholic high school kids for smirking in the direction of a “native elder”, calling it a “shameful act of disrespect”.
The first problem with the statement is that it brings undue sympathy to the executed. Nowhere is there a consideration for the actual victims of his crimes: Tiffany Harville was raped and murdered by having a knife jabbed into her brain and her throat slit. Two other boys, Reinhard and Ernest Mabins, were also killed by Ray a year earlier. To talk about the “indignity” that Ray supposedly suffered by not having an iman at his side while not even mentioning the victims is just pathetic.
Second, can you imagine a Catholic bishop talking about some “right” to have a minister of a false religion at one’s death bed? Only a priest can bring a penitent soul back to God at death. There used to be bishops who would lose their heads for steadfastly upholding the one, true faith.
And finally, we have to address this completely false argument — now so often repeated — that the Catholic Church is “against” the death penalty. There may be some people in the Catholic episcopacy today who don’t accept the death penalty, but that’s not God’s law, as espoused by the tradition of the Church.
I copy the following quotes that were put together by Ann Barnhardt for your consideration, and judge for yourselves who to believe.
St. Augustine
The same divine authority that forbids the killing of a human being establishes certain exceptions, as when God authorizes killing by a general law or when He gives an explicit commission to an individual for a limited time.
The agent who executes the killing does not commit homicide; he is an instrument as is the sword with which he cuts. Therefore, it is in no way contrary to the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill’ to wage war at God’s bidding, or for the representatives of public authority to put criminals to death, according to the law, that is, the will of the most just reason.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Every part is directed to the whole, as imperfect to perfect, wherefore every part exists naturally for the sake of the whole. For this reason we see that if the health of the whole human body demands the excision of a member, because it became putrid or infectious to the other members, it would be both praiseworthy and healthful to have it cut away. Now every individual person is related to the entire society as a part to the whole. Therefore if a man be dangerous and infectious to the community, on account of some sin, it is praiseworthy and healthful that he be killed in order to safeguard the common good, since “a little leaven corrupteth the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6).
The fact that the evil ones, as long as they live, can be corrected from their errors does not prohibit that they may be justly executed, for the danger which threatens from their way of life is greater and more certain than the good which may be expected from their improvement.
They also have at that critical point of death the opportunity to be converted to God through repentance. And if they are so obstinate that even at the point of death their heart does not draw back from malice, it is possible to make a quite probable judgment that they would never come away from evil.
…a secondary measure of the love of God may be said to appear, for capital punishment provides the murderer with incentive to repentance which the ordinary man does not have, that is a definite date on which he is to meet his God. …the law grants to the condemned an opportunity which he did not grant to his victim, the opportunity to prepare to meet his God. Even divine justice here may be said to be tempered with mercy.
St. Alphonsus Liguori
It is lawful to put a man to death by public authority: it is even a duty of princes and of judges to condemn to death criminals who deserve it; and it is the duty of the officers of justice to execute the sentence; God Himself wishes malefactors to be punished.
Thomas Aquinas laid the groundwork for our modern Western ethics and theology. He is one of the true greats of Christendom. Do these bishops and popes really put themselves above St. Thomas and St. Alphonsus? Who do they think they are?
Folks, no bishop or pope is going to save us, that seems for sure. We are on our own out here to restore our traditions and take back our religion. God will send us good shepherds in due time.