Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 18, 2026
I remember sitting in seminary when the recent news of a terrible crime was being discussed. And one of the students raised his hand and shared that he believed that the criminals should have to suffer the same kind of death they imposed on their victims. And he added, “I’m not sorry to say that either. …What that student shared was a perfectly understandable and honest reaction to a horrible crime. But even understandable outrage cannot alone decide what punishment is morally acceptable. For example, the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, and her accusers appealed to the law to demand her death. Jesus’ response was to challenge them, sparing her life, and calling her to turn away from sin. With the death penalty in the news, this is a good opportunity to remember what the Church teaches. The Church authoritatively teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible and calls us to work for its abolition because even the guilty retain their human dignity. And, as people ...