Grant, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of thy truth, we may stedfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, being filled with the Holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to thee, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right hand of God to succour all those that suffer for thee, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.- Saint Stephen Prayer from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer
Local Priest
says Capital punishment an option
December
12th, 2016
Catholic
Priest, Linus Clovis, has asserted in an exclusive interview with the Times
that for some crimes, capital punishment is the only option.
“This
is my opinion – nobody else’s,” Clovis declared while noting that the church in
the Caribbean has adopted the position that capital punishment should not be
exercised.
The Clergyman
made the remarks while expressing concern about crime and the
“horrendous” rape of the elderly as investigations continue here into the
burglary, rape and homicide involving 76-year old victim – Rosa Rosemond of
Marisule.
In voicing
support for capital punishment for some crimes, the Catholic Priest told the
Times he was not looking at the issue from a standpoint of vindictiveness.
“I
am looking at it as retribution,” Clovis said.
He expressed
the view that the persons committing the crimes, until brought face to face
with their mortality, do not appreciate that there is a God on the “other side”
to whom they have to answer.
“I
think when you are faced with your mortality – when you know that you have
only a week, two days, three days, it gives you an opportunity to
repent,” Clovis explained.
He referred
to the ‘good thief’ who was about to be executed along with Jesus Christ.
“He
recognized that his life did not match up to Christ who was suffering patiently
and unjustly and he said ‘We – have you no fear of God?’ were his first words,
speaking to his brother thief : ‘we are only paying for what we have done
wrong; this man is innocent’,” Clovis stated.
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The Catholic
Priest asserted that there has been a lot of misunderstanding regarding the church’s
position on capital punishment.
He explained
that the church has not and cannot condemn capital punishment because it is
something sanctioned in scripture.
Clovis
observed that what happened was that Pope John Paul had said because of the
violence, particularly the murder of children in the wombs of their mothers and
the devaluation of human life especially of the innocent, the stage was reached
where it was possible to incarcerate or find alternative punishment rather than
capital punishment.
According to
Clovis, John Paul was referring to developed countries which can afford to
incarcerate.
“When you
come to developing countries and the developing world, can we afford to
incarcerate so many criminals when our children do not have the basic necessities
to even go to school?” The local Clergyman said.
Clovis
presented a number of reasons for the current crime situation locally and
offered several suggestions to deal with the problem.
“Personally I
think that unless something is really done – and it must begin spiritually, we
are going to see even worse crimes,” he told the Times.
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