Divine Justice
Alexander Mingus
9/22/20
After a quick scan through an article about the recent execution of Lezmond Mitchell, a dive into the article comments reveals something startling.
“Kill him the way he killed his victims.”
“I say give the dad a box of rocks and 15 minutes alone with the piece of trash.”
“I hope it hurts.”
These are just a few of the most vicious examples. The comments reveal how many Americans perceive justice—not according to the Christian conception of justice as a virtue, but rather from a perspective alien to Christian thought. An eye is traded for an eye; a tooth for a tooth; a life for a life.
“But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.” Matthew 5:39
Christ offers a new vision for justice, which is opposed to worldly justice. This divine justice is concerned with giving the other what is due to him. Consequently, a Christian vision for the penal system is not concerned merely with punishment for its own sake in proportion to the crime committed, but rather takes the humanity of the perpetrator (no matter how vile the crime) into account and offers the glimmering light of hope for healing amid terrible suffering.
“Punishment does not serve merely the purpose of defending the public order and guaranteeing the safety of persons; it becomes as well an instrument for the correction of the offender, a correction that also take on the moral value of expiation when the guilty party voluntarily accepts his punishment. There is a twofold purpose here. On the one hand, encouraging the re-insertion of the condemned person into society; on the other fostering a justice that reconciles, a justice capable of restoring harmony in social relationships disrupted by the criminal act committed.”
-Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 403
As we reflect on the continuing and upcoming federal executions, our hearts are heavy. Advocating to end the death penalty is occasionally misconstrued as a blindness to the horrible acts committed by those on death row. The Church recognizes the horror of these acts while listening to the voices of those affected by a crime. In addition, those responsible are given a voice in order allow healing and restoration of social harmony.
Accepting this teaching may be hard for many of us who are deeply steeped in alternative conceptions of justice. As we continue to witness executions in the United States, we are called to approach the Church’s teaching with the humility of an open heart and embrace our role to restore and repair our understanding of Christian justice.
In death, Christ transformed our sin through the Cross and turned suffering into the ultimate reward. In a similar way, we can work to turn our sin and the sins of others into opportunities for our sanctification and that of the whole world.
Two federal executions are scheduled on September 22 and 24, 2020, at the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
For more Catholic Resources on the death penalty, visit Catholic Mobilizing Network
Click here to view the ICC’s Death Penalty brochure, which covers papal teaching on the topic in the past few decades.