This paper explains that, officially, the Catholic Church opposes the death penalty, but a large majority of Americans support
capital
punishment. The author points out that, in the past history of the church, some theologians, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, have allowed for the practice of capital punishment, although some modern Catholic opponents say Aquinas's position is commensurate with killing for self-defense, not formal, state-sanctioned death when the offending sinner is incarcerated and no longer dangerous to the community. The paper concludes that the consensus within the faith community indicates capital punishment is contrary to the teachings of Christ; but, in terms of the theological reasoning and
justification for this position, there still remains a point of contention, rhetorically and in terms of Church rationales.