The Catholic Church has also consistently taught that it is the legitimate right of government to protect society by punishing wrongdoers. The teaching of the Catholic Church on the use of capital punishment is constantly being refined, becoming ever more explicit as the Church grows in experience and wisdom. In 1997, the Catechism of the Catholic Church was revised to express a more precise understanding of the propriety of the death penalty. First articulated by Pope John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae , this principle declares that modern society has the means of protecting itself and preserving the common good without the necessity of capital punishment. The Holy Father's words are more a development in the use of the state's right rather than a change in the teaching of the Church on the state's right.
Violence is a lie for it goes against the truth of our faith, the truth of our humanity.
This conclusion is supported by numerous studies comparing murder rates in states with and without the death penalty. We believe that moral education, effective police work, and genuine efforts to address the causes of crime are the most effective remedies for violent crime. It has been well-documented that innocent people are wrongly convicted and sentenced to death. In one state, the governor suspended all executions because more people had been exonerated and released from death row than had been executed. 14 Evidence discovered after conviction, such as DNA test results, evidence of perjury by witnesses, confessions by others, errors or misconduct by police, prosecutors, judges, or defense counsel, among other things, have freed more than 85 people from death row since 1973, including two in Pennsylvania.