In an audience with penitentiary staff and prison chaplains, Pope Francis said Saturday that sentencing prisoners to life imprisonment diminishes their “right to hope.”
“It is up to every society … to ensure that the penalty does not compromise the right to hope, that prospects for reconciliation and reintegration are guaranteed,” Pope Francis said Sept. 14 in St. Peter’s Square.
“Life imprisonment is not the solution to problems – I repeat: life imprisonment is not the solution to problems, but a problem to be solved,” the pope said.
Pope Francis explained that he believes that during the penitentiary process of rectifying mistakes, hope for the future should not be eliminated.
“Because if hope is closed in a cell, there is no future for society,” he said. “Never deprive one of the right to start over.”
Directing his message toward all prisoners, Pope Francis said: “Never let yourself be imprisoned in the dark cell of a hopeless heart; do not give in to resignation. God is greater than any problem and is waiting for you to love you.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
“Hope is a the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness…” (from CCC #1817)
Life sentences are necessary both for the proportional punishment of certain very grave offenses and for the protection of society. Every prisoner, no matter how bad his past, has the best hope: that we “might be justified by his grace and become heirs of eternal life.” (CCC same section, citing Titus 3:6-7)
Removing hope for release from prison in this world in no way removes true hope from a prisoner.
Your statement is in no way symbolic of the example that Jesus left us.
What hope does a prisoner with a life sentence have…you say? Many dont know God before incarceration, and have little chance of getting a relationship with God due to the lack of concern on the system, the depravities, and the poor presentation of the gospel by many who visit who place themselves “above” the inmate and treat them as if the crime they committed was yesterday.
After 20 years of dealing first hand with prisons and the system and a loved on who I try to supply hope to…time and suffering and its corrosive effect eat away at hope…not only of the prisoner, but also of the person trying to help.
It takes deep love, deep financial, and deep time committments to truly save those in despair. And society is not generous with any of those. Even the churches in this day find their ranks thining in their beutiful buildings due to the lack of the essence….the core of it all. True love and concern. The values lacking ? Corinthians 13.
BUt I am supplied by the Holy Spirit, and my battle for saving is hope for TODAY, not just 30 years from now when a prisoner dies of old age in a dirty cell surrounded by people who dont care. Hope is today…it is reward after salvation today. With a smile and a hug and concerned listening and helping DAILY.
It is not a one time visit a year from a group that lays hands on and leaves the environment unchanged.
I am strong in my words. They are not easy on the ear. They are words of truth.
God be with us all and perfect love in us today, as God defines love.
To all who say ” Tell that to those who had horrific crimes done” Please understand that I am for captial punishment in the form of immediate execution.” But also know that God redeems and forgives well beyond our limits.
Jesus saw the woman at the well. She had many husbands……. “Go and sin no more”
The crimes of horrific level in his day on earth was dealt with by God then too. The bible didnt say ” and he who tortured christians and raped them and mutilated them…….” Rather the bible says ” David slew Goliath” and Samson collapsed the temple. God frees his people from sin. He does not make them subject to it.
But I can tell you, in fact….you could meet the people I know and tell me the condition of their heart and mind and spirit. It is not impossible with God You just have to look, You are saying an eye for an eye. You are saying once a sinner, always a sinner. It is not so. For you were all sinners and came to the knowledge of Christ.
No one here is talking about a “blanket” sentence reduction. But rather case by case.
God is wise and imparts wisdom to us. Use it.
Very poor leadership! Penance and punishment for SIN is not a bad thing! Save your “right to hope” speech for victims of terribly wrongful situations, such as racial and religious discrimination, who are mature, responsible, and ready to contribute much good to society! Murderers like deceased psychopath Charles Manson, with life sentences– belong in prison! Unfit for society– very, very dangerous! In prison, they also have opportunities for free education and job training, charity projects, TV, movies, and recreation– also, psychological help, and religious services! They have what they need– behind bars! That’s reality!
The Pope should go help David Daleiden, if he is sent to prison! And help wrongfully imprisoned and tortured Christians, worldwide!
The Pope, who unilaterally changed the Catechism to state that capital punishment is always immoral, is now, again, condemning life imprisonment.
Should terrorists, other mass murderers and serial killers all be released to the Vatican City-State?
The slippery slope to abolishing all punishment, not just capital punishment, has been introduced.
Never ? Tell that to a Father whose wife and children was brutally raped and murdered. Tell that to a mother whose head was cut off by some animal for being a Christian. This mans example of being the Father to us is pathetic.
Is the Pope also implying that no one should go to hell? Unlike prison, where one has hope for salvation through repentance, there is no hope for the Beatific Vision in hell.
Another blasphemy from the Pope!!
The prisoner is always free to exercise his/her right to start over – behind bars. The victim should also free to start over without the fear of the criminal coming back to victimize again.
No hope for these fellows? What about their victims? Spare me.
Even though I’m against capital punishment in the West, I’ve always had serious problems with almost all of the arguments against capital punishment. The reason is because most of the arguments undercut incarceration in general.
This latest statement is nothing more than the Pope taking his stance against all capital punishment to its logical conclusion.
Crazy, but understandable, viewpoint by the Pope. What about 30-years, Holy Father, or 20-years, or 10? Is society to be put at risk to fulfill some crazed Marxist philosophy?
Thank you Pope Francis for having the courage to speak out on this issue. Many countries focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment. The USA would benefit from doing the same. The costs, wasted resources, not to mention the wasted, lives under the current system is not sustainable. Locking people up and throwing away the key does not work.
Mark, the countries with good crime rehab. programs, are also often countries with strong, centuries-old, very cohesive cultures, which everyone feels a part of! America is not like that! We have a highly-individualistic, free, materialistic country, with extreme breakdown of marriage, family, and the home– as well as the breakdown of communities, and schools, and very poor religious and moral leadership– we have no cohesive culture at all!
Scientific social research shows that many hardened criminals are extremely disadvantaged, troubled youth, from poor and broken homes, with no father present– and crime nearby, in the streets. Plus– the extremely immoral, ignorant, money- hungry American media, to guide them along their pathway to Hell.
Mark , yes locking people up and throwing away the key does work that is why it works, if they never get out the chances of them hurting more innocent people is diminished . Read your history we tried this in the 70’s it did not work , that is why we have three strikes laws . tell how do you think that
“men” like joshua komisarjevsky, and steven hayes could be rehabilitated , read the details of their crimes , how would you rehabilitate a mccarrick or a John Geoghan ? . Again read your history evil exists , life without parole does something to protect the innocent .
I say, this Pope is brilliant: his words have inadvertently shed the spotlight on the spiritual deficiencies of his detractors, some of whom are commenting here. The Holy Father has effectively shed a light of hope for those who are incarcerated: something to strive for in this life, motivation to reform not only for the life to come, but also in this life. To those who don’t understand and even refuse to spread wide abroad God’s abundant mercy and forgiveness, to those who regard “prison” as “hell,” the words of this Pope will continue to befuddle them. God bless the Holy Father!
Jon, don’t forget— it is a big responsibility to ensure SAFETY for all people, including the most vulnerable— little children, mothers, the sick, old, disabled, crippled, etc. We do not want them to come to Mass, and become victims!
Ah, “jon,” spreading falsehoods as you go. Let’s see, this is an easy one: Christ did not ever condemn Rome for its brutality, referring, in fact, to Caesar as deserving of being obeyed in temporal things. Crime was never tolerated in Roman society, and punishment was swift and severe. Christ forgave the criminal hanging with Him on the Cross, but did not say anything about the unfairness of his punishment. Francis is not brilliant, but he is an ideologue, intent on imposing Socialist collectivist principles. Too bad he ignores history, too, as socialist/communist countries impose the most unyielding penalties.
SC has just plunged into a self-contradiction here by saying that the Pope is “intent on imposing Socialist collectivist principles.” By supporting the death penalty, by supporting no mercy and hope for those incarcerated, those who oppose the Vicar of Christ have inadvertently aligned themselves with the most oppressive and the most tyrannical socialist regimes like China, the former Soviet Union, Cuba, and the former Eastern bloc socialist dictatorships. Listen to the living Magisterium. Respect life!
jon your ” Listen to the living Magisterium. Respect life! ” has become a punch line not a serious exhortation, your errors and fallacies are at best amusing . Our current Vicar of Christ with the aid of mccarrick has aligned himself with China , Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo of the Vatican claimed that “China is the best implementer of Catholic social doctrine”. Read about how the Chinese punish , gulags , death penalty , and how they run the church . I do listen to the living magisterium , and I am sad that he is in error so much, I pray for his enlightenment , I respect life by remembering crime victims and advocating for justice.
It will benefit Rick W—and the rest of the commenters here–not only to listen to the living Magisterium, but also to “think with the Church.” “Sentire cum Ecclesia,” peoples! Firstly Rick W., you haven’t proven that the Pope has “aligned” with socialist regimes: and twisting Bishop Sorondo’s words doesn’t help your point either. Those on the extreme left and the extreme right have not been “thinking with” the Church for decades; nor have they been listening with care. So what has been the result? Well, listen to your own dissentful comments here. Listen to the living Magisterium. Respect life!
After reading these comments, I have come to realize that people getting killed by dictators for being Jews or Christians is the same as a person getting the death penalty after a jury has concluded beyond reasonable doubt that the person went on a rampage and killed 50 people.
Anonymous , I am hoping that is sarcasm sometimes it is hard to tell .
Anonymous’ hyperbolic comment there seems to have been made without any benefit of prior critical reasoning. The former scenario (killing Jews for being Jews) is an intrinsic moral evil. The latter (the death penalty for a convict) is morally inadmissible given the fact that there are now other means to protect society short of execution. Both may be legal depending on which country you reside in, but what the Catholic Church is saying is that the latter ought to be discontinued as there are now other means to deter a criminal. Its continuation violates human dignity, just as the former scenario does. But both are NOT the same cases. Try again, Anonymous.
jon, would you have been willing to volunteer as a host if Charles Manson and Jeffery Dahmer were released from prison and needed a place to live. You could have eased their transition back into society by integrating them into your family.
If this was a politician, business leader , celebrity etc I would call them a moral and mental idiot , with no concept of evil and the criminals who commit these unspeakable crimes . They were given these sentences as a misapplication of mercy , they are evil , they can repent in prison and serve as an example of redemption and contrition without putting more innocent people in jeopardy .