Catholic Teaching on Capital Punishment and Self-Defense
The Death Penalty in Catholic Teaching
Pope John Paul II addresses the issue of the death penalty in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), specifically in Chapter III, number 56, paragraph 52. In light of the question asked by the young man and the importance of keeping all the commandments, the Pope writes:
The Lord God proclaims that all human life is created in his image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:26-28). Therefore, human life possesses a sacred and inviolable character, which reflects the inviolability of the Creator. Precisely for this reason, God will severely judge every violation of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” which is the basis of social life.
God is the defender of the innocent (cf. Genesis 4:9-15; Isaiah 41:14; Jeremiah 50:34; Psalm 19:15). In this way, He also shows that He “does not delight in the destruction of the living” (Wisdom 1:13). Only Satan can delight therein, for through his envy, death entered the world (cf. Wisdom 2:24), deceiving humanity and leading it to projects of sin and death, which appear as goals and fruits of life.
Sanctity of Life and Penal Justice
Killing a human being, who bears the image of God, is a particularly serious sin. God alone is Master of life! From this perspective, we approach the problem of the death penalty, for which there is, in the Church and in civil society, a growing tendency to call for its very limited use, or even its total abolition. The problem is viewed in the context of a system of penal justice increasingly in line with human dignity and thus, ultimately, with God’s plan for humanity and society.
Indeed, the punishment which society inflicts “first effect is to redress the disorder caused by the fault.” Public authority must redress violations of personal and social rights by imposing on the offender an adequate punishment for the crime, as a condition for readmission to the exercise of personal freedom. In this way, authority also fulfills the purpose of preserving public order and the safety of people, while also offering the offender an incentive and help to reform.
Clearly, to achieve all these purposes, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon. It ought not to go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity, that is, when the defense of society is not possible by other means. Today, however, thanks to the ever more adequate organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.
The Morality of Self-Defense
The principle that killing a human being, who bears the image of God, is a particularly serious sin, and that God alone is Master of life, remains central. Historically, however, given the many and often tragic life situations of individuals and society, Christian reflection has sought a fuller and deeper understanding of what the commandment of God prohibits and prescribes. Indeed, there are situations that appear as a paradox to the values proposed by the Law of God.
This applies, for example, to self-defense, in which the right to protect life and the duty not to harm another are particularly difficult to reconcile. Undoubtedly, the intrinsic value of life and the duty to love oneself no less than others are the basis of a genuine right to self-defense. The demanding commandment of love of neighbor, enunciated in the Old Testament and confirmed by Jesus, itself presupposes love of oneself as one of the terms of comparison: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).
Therefore, no one could waive the right to defend life or love himself too little. Such a waiver would only be conceivable if moved by a heroic love that deepens and transforms self-love in the spirit of the Gospel Beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5:38-48), where the self-offering of the Lord Jesus himself is the sublime example.
Moreover, “legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life, the common good of the family or society.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2263-2269; cf. Catechism of the Council of Trent III, 327-332.Source Link
Unfortunately, it happens that the need to render an aggressor incapable of causing harm sometimes involves taking their life. In this scenario, the fatal outcome is to be attributed to the aggressor who has exposed themselves to such action, even if they were not morally responsible due to a lack of discretion.