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Friday, March 29, 2024

CBCP tells govt: Reject death penalty

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Manila Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on Thursday called on the government to find alternative ways to fight crime but ruled out death penalty, which he described as inhumane form of punishment.

The cardinal, who supports the 21-day nationwide caravan against death penalty, said that capital punishment must be replaced with better alternatives.

“The march gives us an opportunity to find ways of fighting crimes, for all crimes violate life, but without resorting to measures that also violate life, like capital punishment,” Tagle said.

“With personal and collective study, prayer, discernment and action, we hope to be a people that promote a culture of life,” he said.

A multisectoral group of cross country pilgrims reached Cavite province last May 18, dubbed “Lakbay-Buhay,” a march-caravan all the way from Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao to drum up public awareness against death penalty.

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Backed by the CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action, the marchers are composed of 14 core pilgrims from various sectors including women, farmers, fishermen, laborers and the youth.

The marchers passed through the island of Cebu, and the provinces in Eastern Visayas, Bicol and Southern Luzon, and were joined by civil society groups, human rights advocates and church people throughout the route of their journey.

Nassa executive secretary Fr. Edwin Gariguez said the march also aims to affirm their “unqualified stand for the right to life.”

“This caravan is our way to let our lawmakers know that the church is not only the ones against death penalty but also Filipinos from different sectors,” Gariguez said. 

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) earlier praised the initiative, saying that more lay faithful “are becoming more and more socially engaged”.

“It is our duty as pastors to encourage them, to bless them and invite more lay faithful to assist them in the mission of social transformation,” CBCP president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said.

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