Catholic officials laud death penalty ban in New Hampshire
New Hampshire becomes the 21st state to ban capital punishment
Published: June 1, 2019
WASHINGTON (CNS) — On May 30, New Hampshire lawmakers garnered enough votes to abolish the death penalty in the state, overriding a veto from Gov. Chris Sununu and becoming the 21st state to ban capital punishment.
Bishop Peter A. Libasci of Manchester thanked lawmakers shortly after the vote in a statement issued on the New Hampshire diocese’s website.
“As good citizens, we must not look upon this vote as a victory, for that would dishonor the grief of those whose lives have been tragically altered by the crimes committed against their loved ones and society in general,” he said.
“Instead, we need to stand together as a citizenry and live by what we said when we spoke of human dignity, incarceration that rehabilitates, especially in cases of life without possibility of parole,” Bishop Libasci said. “Being part of a society that is committed to dealing with the ills that lead to the decomposition of personhood and the evil crime of murder is the work of a noble people who uphold the sacredness of human life.”
Though the New Hampshire Legislature had passed the bill repealing capital punishment in mid-April, the governor in early May vetoed the bill, but legislators in the state garnered enough votes to override the veto.
“Today’s repeal is a major step toward building a culture
Article source: https://www.arkansas-catholic.org/news/article/6078/Catholic-officials-laud-death-penalty-ban-in-New-Hampshire