Dear Friends,
This morning Pope Francis addressed the US Congress. In that address, he asserted that ‘every life is sacred,’ and called for the death penalty to be abolished globally. His support for abolition of the death penalty could not have been more forthright or more clear.
The Pope stated that life is important at every stage and tied abolition to his advocacy for the poor, the underrepresented and those whom society has devalued. He stated “I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes.” (The emphasis is mine.)
The Pope drew significant applause from the Congress when he noted that the Golden Rule – doing unto others as we would have them do to us – gives us the “responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of development.”
Finally, the Pope made it very clear that this principle of treating others they way we want to be treated, does extend to those who have been sentenced for the most serious criminal actions.
I wanted to share this great news with you today. We applaud the Pope for his strong support and hope that many will thoughtfully reflect on his comments and join us in calling for the state of Kansas to repeal the death penalty in 2016.
Mary and the KCADP Team
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