Anyone who believes in the consistent ethic of life should be happy today, as the Illinois State Senate followed the House in passing a bill abolishing the death penalty in the state, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, however, hasn't said whether he will sign the bill, although a veto would be a tragedy. I will be giving him a call urging him to sign the bill, that's for sure.
Opposition to the death penalty seems to me a natural for any Catholic, any Christian, as far as I'm concerned. We extol as God a man who was unjustly executed, so we don't even need all the moral and economic arguments to make our case, as convincing as some are.
As for those guilty of truly heinous crimes who may "deserve" death in the eyes of some, I'd still rather err on the side of caution and give them the opportunity to seek and find forgiveness, despite their failure to show mercy.
