Punishment does not serve merely the purpose of defending the public order and guaranteeing the safety of persons; it becomes as well an instrument for the correction of the offend
Catholic social teaching holds that something essential is missed whenever a human person’s dignity is overlooked. Every human person possesses a God-given dignity. But is this mer
The splendour of truth shines forth in all the works of the Creator and, in a special way, in man, created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26). Truth enlightens man's i
Prisoners easily can be overwhelmed by feelings of isolation, shame and rejection that threaten to shatter their hopes and aspirations for the future. Within this context, chaplain
Peace is an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each person, regardless of his or her particular cultural identity. Consequently, everyone should feel committed to servi
The story of the Good Samaritan is constantly being repeated. We can see this clearly as social and political inertia is turning many parts of our world into a desolate byway, even
The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anx
Today has been a special day, a painful day. Friday is the day on which we remember the death of Jesus, and together with the youth we ended the day by reciting the Way of the Cro
In the Cross of Jesus Christ — today the Church is celebrating the feast of the Cross of Jesus Christ — we understand fully the mystery of Christ, this mystery of annihilation, of
As things stand, the criminal justice system oversteps its proper sanctioned function and places itself on the ground of the freedoms and rights of the people, especially of the mo
When faced with the challenges of history, humanity has been able to counter the most serious difficulties by appealing to the strength that in his merciful goodness Almighty God h
The Shroud is a challenge to our intelligence. It first of all requires of every person, particularly the researcher, that he humbly grasp the profound message it sends to his reas
Your ministry requires much patience and perseverance. Not infrequently there are disappointments and frustrations. Strengthening the bonds that unite you with your bishops will en
Definitionally, torture is the intentional infliction of suffering on a defenceless person against their will. This may be done out of cruelty for the satisfaction of causing harm, or as a means to some other end. The former is uncontroversially wrong, but the latter has been the subject of moral debate with some arguing that it is permissible, and perhaps even required in circumstances of extreme emergency, to use torture to extract information or secure cooperation from someone. A familiar scenario of this sort is where a terrorist has information on the location of a bomb intended to kill innocent civilians (see for example the US film Unthinkable (2010)). Apart from those who hold that any form of violence is wrong, others who, though not pacifists, are opposed to torture in all circumstances argue that it is a direct intentional violation of human dignity and rights. Defenders of torture appeal to utilitarian considerations, and/or to the idea that rights may be forfeited.
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