Cardinal Pell sees justification for Saddam's execution

George Cardinal Pell

Function: Archbishop of Sydney, Australia

Title: Cardinal Priest of St. Mary Dominic Mazzarello

Birthdate: Jun 08, 1941	Country: Australia

Elevated: Oct 21, 2003	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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Cardinal Pell sees justification for Saddam's execution
Jan 16, 2007
Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, Australia, has indicated sympathy for those who defend the execution of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein.

Sydney, Jan. 15, 2007 (CWNews.com) - In his weekly column for the Sydney Sunday Telegraph, Caridnal Pell acknowledged that Vatican officials had spoken out against the execution, in line with “Catholic policy, which has now developed into an explicit opposition to all capital punishment.”

However, in his January 14 column, the Australian cardinal said that the case of Saddam Hussein “certainly falls into the category of ‘extreme gravity,’” in which Church teaching has traditionally acknowledged the state’s right to impose capital punishment.

“In an imperfect world there is little ground for complaint here,” Cardinal Pell said, after a quick review of Saddam’s crimes. Recognizing legitimate complaints against the Iraqi court trial and the rush to execution, the cardinal said: “It was not entirely right and proper, but our sympathy should be directed first to his many victims.”

Cardinal Pell’s column recognizes the sharp public disagreements about the death penalty, and notes that Pope John Paul II (bio - news) rejected the use of capital punishment even in cases of “extreme gravity.” He closes his column by acknowledging an obligation to pray for the soul of the Iraqi dictator, but saying, “I weep rather for his many victims.”

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