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By Deacon Adrian Cepeda for Today's Catholic Newspaper
I participated in the World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10. It started in downtown San Antonio with a rally supporting a stay of execution for death row inmate Jedidiah Murphy. Representatives from the Catholic Mobilizing Network made the trip from Washington, D.C., to lend support for him and to advocate for an end to the death penalty. The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Pax Christi were also present, along with Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, along with faculty and students from the University of the Incarnate Word. The day ended on the campus of the university with presentations by speakers who have had experience with death penalty cases within their families.
In Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti, he termed the death penalty as “inadmissible,” placing the full weight of his teaching authority behind this statement. He also called on all Catholics to work for the abolition of the death penalty, leaving no ambiguity about the Church’s stance and belief on this social justice issue.
As director for Criminal Justice Ministry (CJM) for the archdiocese, I visit state prisons frequently and have built relationships with men who are serving life sentences. I can testify as an eyewitness that the grace, mercy, redemption, and forgiveness of sins offered to everyone by Christ is present and vibrant in the state prison system. Christ, who walks these facilities day and night, calls prisoners by name to follow him and leave the darkness of their past crimes behind, receiving the strength to cope with the hardships of prison life. Many men answer this call and serve Christ by ministering to other prisoners to bring them to Christ where they too can live in the light of salvation. This is incredibly beautiful to see and reminds us that it is never too late for people to change their lives and use their God-given free will for the good of their community --whether in society or in a prison facility.
We are blessed by the many faithful servants of Christ who volunteer inside of prison walls, pray for those impacted by the criminal justice system, and mobilize for the sake of justice grounded in the natural law of God and immersed in pure love and mercy. While a death sentence requires unspeakable crimes that we simply cannot understand, it is heartbreaking to sit with these offenders and feel the pain they have brought upon others and themselves. But with the grace of Christ, lay volunteers, deacons, priests, bishops, advocates, and others called to religious life ministering and advocating for our incarcerated brothers and sisters, they can profoundly change. They can repay their debts to society and be a positive force for Christ, doing the good works we are called to do for ourselves and for others.
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