Death Penalty

Death Penalty
Question from on 06-10-2007:
St. Thomas Aquinas gives an air-tight argument in favor of the death penalty, not as a means of protecting the common good, like the catechism, but as a prevention method and deterrent. The state, according to St. Thomas, had the authority to hang someone in the public square even when they could just as easily be imprisoned until death. This would serve as a warning to society not to become evil-doers themselves. It makes perfect sense.

But the late John Paul II and the Catechism both explicitly condemn the use of the death penalty unless it is the "only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor." It would seem the CCC is at odds with the Church's greatest Doctor. Does this mean then that St. Thomas was wrong? A heretic even? Are we free to let ourselves be persuaded by St. Thomas's argument or are we obliged to accept everything in the catechism as infallible doctrine? If not every teaching in the Catechism is doctrine, how do we know which parts are and which aren't?
Answer by Fr.Stephen F. Torraco on 06-12-2007:
Actually, despite appearances, Pope John Paul II, the Catechism, and St. Thomas Aquinas are in agreement. You quote: unless it is the "only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor." The question is: who determines whether it is the only possible way? According to St. Thomas and according to the Catechism, the answer is the legitimate civil authority, and not the Church. The difference between St. Thomas and the Catechism is a matter of emphasis, but not a matter of principle.

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