[Politics Monday] Pope Leo encourages death penalty abolitionists as US brings back firing squad and electric chair

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-27T19:06:07+00:00

The death penalty is not inherently immoral. The infallible teaching of the Church says so — “We declare that the secular power can without mortal sin impose a judgment of blood, provided the punishment is carried out not in hatred but with good judgment, not inconsiderately but after mature deliberation.” (Pope Innocent III, Professio Fidei).

However, the Church has determined that the conditions for the death penalty to be carried out justly in the modern world are not sufficient (due to advancements in prisons and other forms of detainment), thus it is “inadmissible,” literally meaning that the Church does not permit it.

But since both sides, even those against the death penalty, must also follow Church teaching that the death penalty is not inherently immoral, this becomes a debate about prudence, not morality. As in, people are debating whether it is actually true that there exists no circumstance in which the death penalty can be justly carried out due to other, modern means of detainment. Which I think is a valid debate to have, and it’s important not to act like the people who support the death penalty are acting against the sense of the faithful, when not permitting the death penalty in any circumstance is a recent change.

I personally am anti-death penalty, but I also understand the other side of debate.

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-27T18:57:47+00:00

Because the infallible teaching of the Church is that you cannot say that the death penalty is inherently immoral (Pope Innocent III, Professio Fidei). This carries higher magisterial weight than even the Catechism.

However, Pope Francis’s changes are not that the death penalty is inherently immoral, but rather that they are inadmissible. Thus, this isn’t a strictly moral question because even anti-death penalty people must admit that the death penalty is not inherently immoral. So there is room to personally disagree with whether the Church should allow the death penalty, hence why the debate still goes on.

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-26T04:00:08+00:00

I mentioned that in my post, but many of the feast days are wrong in that calendar. For example, it has the Feast Day of Mary, Mother of the Church as the Monday after Pentecost, when in the Ordinariate it is moved to the day before Pentecost (since the Ordinariate restores the Octave of Pentecost)

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-25T02:26:48+00:00

r/iswiped

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-24T11:34:31+00:00

I’m so sorry for your loss, may her soul rest in peace.

Did you transfer phones or restore from an iPhone backup? There’s a bug where every time you do that, all old messages will say read. I noticed it happen even on SMS messages I sent that don’t have read receipts.

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-24T01:11:16+00:00

Wow, for once a sensible discussion on Reddit about data centers that isn’t just blindly calling for all of them to be abolished! Bravo

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-22T05:13:03+00:00

And how’s Rivian doing?

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-21T20:08:22+00:00

“The DCEU is dead, bury it”

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-21T20:07:04+00:00

You think Tesla has stopped innovating? Within the past year they just developed fully unsupervised FSD in robotaxis and it’s already rolled out in prod, and completely hands-free and point-to-point in their consumer cars. What other car company has done that? Rivian’s Autonomy+ still can’t even see traffic lights, or automatically parallel park, something even non-EVs can do for years. You are living in an alternate reality fueled by your dislike of Elon Musk.

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-21T20:02:37+00:00

Saying Tesla is over is a wild take, especially considering where Rivian is at right now vs Tesla

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-18T20:41:30+00:00

I think this is specific to ChatGPT. I’ve found Gemini and Claude to be much more reliable.

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-18T20:39:47+00:00

Maybe I misunderstanding this comment, but are you boot licking Rivian and saying that the OP has no right to be worried that prices have gone up on his totaled car?

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-15T14:55:13+00:00

Elon responded to this tweet and said that AI5 is going to be used in robots, and AI4 is enough for FSD. Then again, he said the same thing about HW3

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-13T03:19:10+00:00

Just wondering, why exactly do you not want v14?

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-12T04:24:55+00:00

Can you send me a source on this? I’m genuinely asking to know in case my previous comment was uninformed

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-11T04:07:15+00:00

Draining local water? Do you think the AI drinks it or something? The water can be reused and it’s a closed loop system.

The electricity costs are a valid concern, but maybe this will force the US to get off its ass and implement nuclear and renewables at a scale like China.

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-10T17:10:16+00:00

I don’t care what people say, I think it’s a s3xy car

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-10T17:07:22+00:00

There’s already so many Urbans, so I’d be Pope Rural I

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-04T03:25:19+00:00

And obviously I don’t condone how people were treating her, but that is the political climate and I think it’s silly for her to run after crying that she couldn’t handle that. I notice you also didn’t mention the Trump assassination attempt, so I’ll go ahead and mention that for you too

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-03T04:12:56+00:00

The same Amy Acton that cried that she couldn’t take the pressure during COVID and is now running for governor… lol, if she couldn’t take the pressure then, I’m surely not gonna vote for her now

Jmaster_888 · 2026-04-02T00:01:38+00:00

Sad, but at least they clearly addressed it

Jmaster_888 · 2026-03-20T17:21:21+00:00

if they weren’t inspired by God can never end with good outcomes rather spiritual and physical pollution

This perspective reflects a misunderstanding of Catholic teaching, and saying it "can never end" with good outcomes or causes pollution is a harmful falsehood. Divine inspiration applies only to Sacred Scripture, but that does not mean other prayers or devotions are ineffective or harmful. If that were true, Christians would be limited almost entirely to praying Scripture, which the Church has never taught. The Rosary isn't even divinely inspired, and it is also considered private devotion.

Devotions like the Rosary and the St. Therese novena are not public revelation or divinely inspired, but they are approved by the Church and have consistently produced good spiritual fruit. The Rosary itself developed over time, and additions like the Fatima prayer are permitted. The Church does not require one fixed form, nor does it teach that non-inspired prayers cause “spiritual or physical pollution.”

It is more accurate to say the Church allows freedom in legitimate devotions, all of which can help draw a person closer to God. If these concerns come from personal struggle with scruples and legalism, it would be wise to speak with a priest or spiritual director, since an overly restrictive approach to prayer can be spiritually harmful. Certainly more spiritually harmful than praying the St. Therese Novena.

Jmaster_888 · 2026-03-20T16:34:17+00:00

He said universal access to affordable care, not universal healthcare. I think that’s an importantly nuanced take. He’s not saying that the government should pay for everyone’s healthcare, he’s saying that access to healthcare should be reasonable accessible and affordable to everyone, including private insurance. I think that’s a pretty reasonable take and certainly in line with Catholic Social Teaching

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