Bishops of Missouri Ask Governor to Stop Scheduled Execution

The Bishops in Missouri have urged Gov. Nixon to stop the scheduled execution of Rick Clay who was convicted of capital murder in 1994.  According to this press release from the Respect Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, questions remain about Clay's guilt or innocence.  The press release states: "The bishops and other religious leaders of the state have joined in the effort to stop the execution of Mr. Clay by submitting a clemency application to Gov. Nixon, asking him to halt the execution and call for an independent review of the case to ensure that all the facts are made known."

The Bishops ask the following:

Action Requested

1.Contact Governor Nixon's office immediately at 573-751-3222 or at constitservices@mo.gov and urge him to stop the execution set for Jan. 12 and convene a board of inquiry to re-examine the case.

2.Call the Board of Probation and Parole at 573-751-8488. They will be making a recommendation to Gov. Nixon on the case.

The Message
Please spare the life of Rick Clay and do not execute him. The jury in his murder trial did not receive evidence that could have cleared him of this crime. The state of Missouri should take a second look before they execute a man who may be innocent. A board of inquiry should be established to re-examine Rick Clay's case.


Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about capital punishment (my emphasis in bold):

CCC 2267: Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm—without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself—the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent".


Quotes from Pope John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae regarding capital punishment:

"Modern society in fact has the means of effectively suppressing crime by rendering criminals harmless without definitively denying them the chance to reform."

"Public authority must redress the violation of personal and social rights by imposing on the offender an adequate punishment for the crime, as a condition for the offender to regain the exercise of his or her freedom. In this way authority also fulfils the purpose of defending public order and ensuring people's safety, while at the same time offering the offender an incentive and help to change his or her behaviour and be rehabilitated.

It is clear that, for these purposes to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent."

**UPDATE**  As of Monday, January 10th, Gov. Nixon has commuted Clay's sentence.  Clay will not be executed, but rather has been given a sentence of life without parole.