Capital Punishment and Roman Catholic Moral Tradition, Second EditionWhy is the Catholic Church against the death penalty? This second edition of Bruggers classic work Capital Punishment and Roman Catholic Moral Tradition traces the doctrinal path the Church has taken over the centuries to its present position as the worlds largest and most outspoken opponent of capital punishment. The pontificate of John Paul II marked a watershed in Catholic thinking. The pope taught that the death penalty is and can only be rightly