US, Illinois bishops’ conferences laud death penalty ban

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is praising Gov. Pat Quinn for signing a bill abolishing the use of capital punishment in Illinois. Sixteen states have now banned the use of the death penalty

“We applaud Governor Quinn for his courageous decision to abolish the use of the death penalty in Illinois,” the USCCB’s department of justice, peace, and human development said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with all those who work for a just and safe society that protects its citizens and upholds the sanctity and dignity of all human life.”

“No longer will there be a risk in Illinois that an innocent person will be convicted and sentenced to death,” the Catholic Conference of Illinois noted in a separate statement. “The end of the use of the death penalty advances the development of a culture of life in our state. Furthermore, society will continue to be protected and those who commit crimes will still be held accountable through alternatives to the death penalty, including life without parole.”

Gov. Quinn, a Catholic who supports legalized abortion and has signed a bill legalizing homosexual civil unions, says that he sought counsel from the Bible and the writings of the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin.