Church teaching now clearly argues for the abolition of capital punishment. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church , the conditions under which a life can be taken even to protect the lives of others have been narrowed significantly. Simply put, we believe that every person is sacred, every life is precious even the life of one who has violated the rights of others by taking a life. Human dignity is not qualified by what we do. It cannot be earned or forfeited.
Human dignity is an irrevocable character of each and every person.
In the last decade, the Holy Father has reminded us that the purpose of punishment should never be vengeance. In this way authority also fulfils the purpose of defending public order and ensuring people's safety, while at the same time offering the offender an incentive and help to change his or her behavior and be rehabilitated. The reality is that the penal system in the United States, perhaps better than all other countries, has the ability to permanently isolate dangerous individuals. Now, even some death penalty supporters are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the status quo. In many states, underfunded and overworked defense attorneys struggle to keep up with large caseloads.