Guest guest Posted April 20, 2001 Report Share Posted April 20, 2001 - Patrick W. Collins <pcollins <thomasmerton> Friday, April 20, 2001 9:21 AM [thomasmerton] McVeigh Execution? > Dear Merton Group, > > I invite reflection and prayer for our nation as we prepare for the > execution of Timothy McVeigh - which has become tragically a media > event. Perhaps a hidden grace in this whole situation will be our > society's reflection on capital punishment - which I oppose along with > Pope John Paul II and the US Bishops. > > I attach a very compassionate and wise statement by the Presiding Bishop > of the Episcopal Church in the United States for your consideration. > > What would Merton say? > > Patrick Collins, Group Moderator > > A statement on the execution of Timothy McVeigh > > > I am appalled by the events developing around the execution of > Timothy > > McVeigh. > > Reports of people wanting to sell T-shirts and buttons conjure up images > of > > executions in > > the Middle Ages and Roman times when these events were public > entertainment. > > Such an > > atmosphere demeans our judicial system as it promotes frenzy and > revenge. A > > public ritual > > of death can only coarsen our spirits and deaden our sensibilities, > placing > > us in danger of > > becoming persons of death, rather than life. Though undoubtedly Timothy > > McVeigh committed > > one of the most heinous crimes in the history of our country, I fear > that > > execution as > > spectacle can only poison the soul of our nation. > > > We can't fully know the pain of those so tragically effected by the > > Oklahoma City > > bombing, most particularly their families. I am concerned, however, > that > > the provisions > > being made for them to witness the execution may only deepen the trauma > they > > have already > > experienced, rather than help them recover from it. > > > Nothing is served by revenge. And here I note that the Episcopal > > Church, along with > > many other faith communities, is on record as being opposed to capital > > punishment. > > > I pray for Timothy McVeigh as he prepares to encounter the God, who > > made him, even as > > I pray for his victims and their families. I invite all persons of > faith to > > join me in > > these prayers as we seek with God' help to become instruments of God's > peace > > and make our > > own the prayer of St. Francis: "Where there is hatred let us sow love; > where > > there is > > injury, pardon; where there is despair, hope; where there is sadness, > > joy..." > > > April 19, 2001 > > > The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold > > > Presiding Bishop and Primate > > > The Episcopal Church > > > > > "Christ came on earth to form contemplatives" Thomas Merton > > Your use of is subject to > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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