Clemency would change the sentence from execution to life in prison. In the past two years the Holy Father has made similar pleas on behalf of convicted killers in at least 20 other cases in the U.S., as well as in other countries of the world. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis that evening. The approaching execution of Timothy McVeigh surfaces memories of a horrible crime. The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building and the resulting tragic loss of 168 lives, including 19 little children, haunts each of us.
Nothing can diminish the horror.
No one can diminish the responsibility of those who committed this crime. Yet, this execution can only compound the violence. It will not bring genuine healing or closure. It will not bring back to life those who died. It will be just one more killing.