Washington D.C., Jan 22, 2017 / 06:17 am
For two Catholic bishops in Virginia, the execution of a man convicted of brutally killing a family of four was a time to reflect on God's mercy.
"Our Creator, who made us out of love for love, has dominion over all life," Bishop Francis DiLorenzo of Richmond and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington said in a joint statement Jan. 18.
"As children of this loving, merciful God we are led to a profound respect for every human life, from its very beginning until its natural end."
They said that the death penalty should be abandoned because the state can protect itself in other ways.