I just stumbled on an interesting factoid. Between 1929 and 1969, the Vatican City retained the death penalty only for the crime of attempting on the Pope's life. Which raises the question: if by oversight that law was not abolished when Mehmet Ali Agca shot John Paul II in 1981, what would have happened? Would John Paul II have allowed the courts to eventually sentence a (apparently) Soviet spy to death? And if so, would he be executed? And what would have happened if that occurred? I imagine it further raises the tensions of the Cold War.
WI: Capital punishment in the Vatican City
- Thread starter EternalCynic
- Start date
Currently people sentenced to jail by Vatican courts serve time in Italian prisons, as per agreement. Not sure if this was also true in 1981 but if it was then it would be up to Italy to actually carry out the sentence, which they couldn't since they abolished it in their post WW2 constitution.
Given that JP2 met with and (according to some reports) granted absolution to Agca I don't think he'd see the man dead on his Pontificate even if they were going to try him in a Vatican court under their own authority. Not to mention the stink the UN would raise over it, which the Vatican might be more apt to listen to than other countries are.
Not sure what thast has to do with topic at hand......
Im guessing hes saying that any italian jail is cruel and unusual punishment. As you say, not on topic.
Mind you, its the sort of snarky comment I am prone too, as well. Sigh.
I wasn't aware of such stereotypes. Turkish, South American, SE Asian prisons sure, but not Italian.
Oh well......
When did the tide turn in RCC doctine against capital punishment?
Besides, would the Italians have been willing or able to perform an execution? We're talking about less than five years before Protocol 6 of the ECHR, banning capital punishment under most circumstances, entered in to force.
Besides, would the Italians have been willing or able to perform an execution? We're talking about less than five years before Protocol 6 of the ECHR, banning capital punishment under most circumstances, entered in to force.
As I said earlier, Italy didn't have capital punishment since their post-WW2 constitution.
Well looking at the statue, if it was still on the books and JP2's assassination attempt was carried out within vatican city's walls. Mr Acga would be apprehended, tried convicted and sentenced by the laws which would be a death sentence if it was mandatory, if not imprisonment, however it would be commuted by either John Paul 2 or whoever was acting in his place while he recovered. Basically there is no chance of the Vatican executing anyone. Interesting to ASB about though.
As for the Church's opinion on the death penalty, they don't oppose it in all cases, the death penalty is permissible in cases of extreme gravity. The Church teaches that capital punishment is allowed if the "guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined" and if the death penalty is the only way to defend others against the guilty party. However they do prefer incarceration to execution and have spoken out against several executions, preferring instead for incarceration.
As for the Church's opinion on the death penalty, they don't oppose it in all cases, the death penalty is permissible in cases of extreme gravity. The Church teaches that capital punishment is allowed if the "guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined" and if the death penalty is the only way to defend others against the guilty party. However they do prefer incarceration to execution and have spoken out against several executions, preferring instead for incarceration.