Month: August 2018

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Pope Francis Changes Church Teaching to Oppose Death Penalty in All Cases

Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has closed the loophole in the Catholic Catechism that allowed for the death penalty in rare cases.

In his letter released on August 2, 2018, he stated that the death penalty “”is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, and stating that the church works “for its abolition worldwide.””

The change demonstrates “increasing awareness that the dignity of the person was not lost even after “the commission of very serious crimes”.”

Click on the attached links for further information:

America: The Jesuit Review

The Guardian

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House Bill 125 Reinstatement Bill died at end of 149th General Assembly

House Bill 125, the bill proposing to reinstate Delaware’s death penalty statute, died in June 2018 at the end of the Delaware General Assembly’s 149th Legislative Session. The House had passed HB 125, but the bill remained in the Senate Judiciary Committee when the session ended. The next two year General Assembly Session, General Assembly 150, will begin in January 2019. Any legislation related to the death penalty in Delaware would have to be introduced as a brand new bill.

Thank you to all who worked so hard to keep Delaware free of the death penalty!