Archbishop William E. Lori issued the following statement today following the vote by the Maryland House of Delegates to repeal the State’s death penalty law:
“I applaud the Maryland General Assembly for choosing to meet evil not with evil, but with a justice worthy of our best nature as human beings. As people of faith who live in a civilized Nation, we recognize that those who have done great harm to others deserve punishment. However, we must also recognize that every life has value and that we cannot overcome crime by executing criminals, nor can we restore the lives of the innocent by ending the lives of those convicted of their murders.
“In this week when Catholics celebrate the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, so too do we pray that this vote is a step forward in creating a culture that respects the dignity of all human life, in solidarity with the teachings of our Catholic faith and our new Holy Father.”