As a strong proponent of the Second Amendment as a means of self defense I've often been taught, and in turn have taught, that the correct mindset to have is one oriented toward stopping the threat. When in fear for your life your goal should be to stop the threat, if that entails lethal force then so be it, but if you're in the mindset of "I need/want to kill my attacker" that is the wrong mindset.
Correct! However, it may be impossible to establish whether a less than lethal defence would be effective due to the speed at which the threat and the context. It can be a very difficult decision. Killing another human is a grave act which leaves a deep impression on the person who had to do so. I've discussed this with colleagues who were in the infantry who after years in armed conflict, still remember the first person they killed.
The Laws of God are just and righteous. In the laws of men. At least in the United States criminals who survived the technique and defenses used on them to prevent them from causing bodily harm and even up to the extent of saving a life from being extinguished by the criminal... Well the criminal then after being apprehended has more legal protection and rights to cause legal recourse against the person who take to the aid of the victim or the person who used legitimate defenses against the perpetrator. This impacts those that are trying to preserve life into not taking steps to preserve the life by using limited force necessary to stop criminal violence from being performed. Now after the event has taken place that a life of the criminal is taken. The person who used lethal force now have to live with great regret for taking a life of someone who is made in the image of God as we all are. Lord have mercy.
@@HumphreyHorseheadalso shooting accurately under time and violence constraints is very difficult. Furthermore, some people are just not stopped even when shot and may become a greater threat. One should do what is prudent under the circumstances
@@davidblyth5495 Indeed, and thats why proper training and regular practice is important. While it is said that the .22 in your pocket beats the magnum you left at home, it is preferable to carry a firearm with sufficient stopping power that you can shoot accurately.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world. Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death...✝️♥️🙏
Praise be to God forever ❣️ asking for all your prayers, i was exposed to Covid and now have it for the 2nd time. I have been sick since Monday evening. My body just got over a bad cold a week ago. That cold took 3 weeks to get over. I have Lupus. I am tired as it is. I've had good days like yesterday. However, this morning I am coughing and not in good spirit. Though this is happening, I am Praising GOD and grateful for everything 🙏🏻. I am thankful for all your prayers. Thank you so much Fr Mike and Ascension. My continued prayers for all, God Bless 🙏🏻
In choosing to legitimately defend oneself, one is respecting the right to life and not choosing to kill. Indeed, for someone responsible for the life of another, legitimate defence can be not only a right but a grave duty, provided only that disproportionate force is not used. A punishment imposed by legitimate public authority has the aim of redressing the disorder introduced by the offence, of defending public order and people's safety, and contributing to the correction of the guilty party. However,.the punishment must be proportionate to the gravity of the offence. The Church stands firm on one issue - the death penalty is inadmissible.
Thank you for sharing this analysis that builds upon the last episode and shows how the safety of the public is our top priority. Thus, acting for self defense is indeed correct. The capital punishment being unnecessary if the prison is unbreakable and the correctional facility as well as the counseling actually changes the hearts of the criminals. The example of The Joker from the Batman universe is perfect to show why some evil people have to be restrained and stopped if they continue to break the law, kill innocent people and show no remorse. There was a video game called Batman Arkham Asylum, in which, it was shown that The Joker had to have his hands and legs tied up all the time and be inside an extremely high security prison yet he manages to escape with the help of some other villains and accomplices. Batman has a principle of never killing any criminal and that's why stopping the Joker becomes a challenge. In such a case, we need to find solutions to keep the person inside, change their heart, and also make sure that the system is unbreakable & without any corruption. Thus topic deserves a discussion and brainstorming by a retired judge, a bishop, a retired police officer, a security expert, and a psychiatrist/criminologist. I'm praying for you, Fr. Mike, Team Ascension, and fellow listeners. God bless
Fr. Thank you ❤. Praying for you, for the Ascension team, for all my CIY brothers and sisters. God bless❤🙏. " Today I discovered that the principle of proportionality under the law of self-defence is found here in CIY." Our God is great ❤😇🙏
Prayer for Tiresome Days Father, clear my sleepy head and fill my mind with expectation. Awake my slow body and energize my heart with love in action. Ignite my spirit and set this day on fire with promise. Make the ordinary extraordinary. Engage me, show me your kingdom alive. Help me to see that every waking moment is full of promise because of you. Amen.
October 20, 2023 Will you please take a moment and pray with me? According to tradition, St. Gertrude the Great was told by Our Lord that each time she piously recited the following prayer, it would release 1,000 souls (or a vast number) from their suffering in purgatory: Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen. In her account of another vision, St. Faustina describes Purgatory as a "great crowd of suffering souls" undergoing purification. Further, she says that the souls are "praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid" (Diary, 20)
““If a thief is caught breaking in [after dark] and is struck [by the owner] so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him.” Exodus 22:2
It may be valid, depending on the context. In some cases the offender would kill out of fear of being apprehended or even to eliminate resistance. I've had many neighbours in my farming community who were killed.
This is so precient for today. Some people seem to think the ownership of guns to defend ones self and family is wrong. And how does it make sense that many sentences are so light or inconsequential for those who have gravely hurt others. I doubt that the intentions of our Holy Father were to protect the rights of the criminal over the rights of the innocent, yet that is what is going on in many of our large cities today. Father Mike, thank you for making it clear.
This is the hardest one for me. I live in an area of the country where, even if the environmentalists do not understand, having the tools to protect one's family from non-human life is still necessary. I try to keep to non-lethal defense, but defense is indeed necessary.
Fr Mike....thank you. Recently needed to use self defense and needed to make sure my actions were just.... Turns out they were. Thank the Lord for his priests and their guidance
One day at a time, I know I’m learning more about my faith which I’m so grateful! Thank you Fr Mike, our team and for this community. I am praying for you all🙏
Good evening Fr.Mike...Is there room for legitimate defense?..So ooooh much to grasp..Thankyou for your time...Fr.Mike. Day 293...Praying for you and the Ascension team 🙏 and all..
All of you people watching this please pray for a friend of mine her words exactly “I don't know if non-believer is the right word, I'm not affiliated with any particular religion, I'm probably agnostic right now, I do find value in the psychospiritual, maybe to say I'm questioning is more accurate.”
Dear Jesus we know that You can do all things. Please draw this young woman to You and reveal Yourself to her. May she know Your infinite love for her. Amen.
During a fire fight in Vietnam I killed several VC. After the action was over I checked the dead men for intel and on one in his upper shirt pocket I found a picture of his wife and two kids. That was 58 years ago. Never thought about it till the last couple years, guilt, PTSD, whatever, it SUCKS!
I'm sorry to hear that. I once had a priest tell me that I couldn't continue to punish myself because God forgave me and I shouldn't reject his gift and the price he paid for that gift. Nevertheless it's easier said than done but his words bring me comfort on bad days. He has forgiven you my friend 🙏. Praying for you.
It was not your wish to kill the enemy but your duty. Some of my colleagues who were Infantry told me that they could never forget their first kill in contacts. That's the harrowing part for infantry and Int members - processing the fallen and wounded after the contact. Hands- on processing makes it very real! However after the conflicts ended, they met their erstwhile enemy and got along well, even friendships
This is a well balanced view which should also observed by all those in authority position. The punishment should be proportional to the offense. Thanks, Father, and grace to the CIY Family. May the Lord keep us from evil. Amen. ❤❤
Thank you Father Mike.❤️🙏❤️ Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, [Francis, Address to Participants in the Meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, 11 October 2017] and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.
Great explanation! I, too, am a great defender and supporter of our Second Amendment. We are taught that you only take out your weapon only you plan to use it for defense of self, not others.
I will be forwarding this to two priests that I know. Both had served in the military, but were diametrically opposed about having an armed person (retired police officer) attend Mass. One felt that it was up to Divine Providence and guns did not belong in church (if some crazed person came into the church and started shooting) - the other asked that the officer come to his Masses!
Day 293 🎉🎉❤❤ Today Friday October 20th of 2023 is day 293 of The Catechism Of The Church podcast with Father Mike Schmitz and Ascension press which means that it is 73 days left of the 365... this also means that the year 2023 is going to be over / gone in 73 days. The year 2024 is 73 days away from us 🎉🎉❤❤❤😊 Viva Cristo Rey. 🇭🇳🇺🇸🇮🇱
I heard a story about a teenage boy in Canada. He and some friends were caught looking at really bad sexual content on their phones. He said the his father was very hard o him and he got some very severe consequences, yes punishment. He said he respected and lived his father because he knows his father lives him and cares for him. He said the his friend's fathers did nothing to them! The Bible says God disciplines those he loves. Why we need judges that are just. Justice is much more than delving out punishment.
October 20, 2023 Let me ask you, have you ever considered listening to Saint Faustina’s Diary in a year and/or EWTN Mother Angelica’s Classics to add to your Catholic learning? Oh my goodness so much life guidance in conjunction with Father Mike’s Bible and Catechism in a Year!
We must always have the 'mind of Christ' and not the way of the world. We are called to have clearer vision and bigger heart.❤ At all tmes, be prudent and discerning whether to be a martyr or a soldier! Act of self defense can have a double effect, viz: preservation of one's life and a duty to be responsible for the life of the other who is harming you. Justice is the primary aim of punishment. It has a medicinal purpose for those who have broken the law. The church works with determination for abolishing Capital Punishment, as it is an attack on the dignity of a person. Yet, if there are continuous prison-breaks, followed by violence and death, then capital punishment can be justified.
It is scriptural and has always been Church teaching for 2,000 years that the death penalty is a just means of punishment. Under Pope Francis, apparently the Catechism has been altered from the original Catechism, according to older versions released under the Magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church and St. Pope John Paul Ii.
My husband bought both of us a pistal and we took a self defense class together. He brings his gun to work, because he works in the city of New Orleans, of which crime and murder seems to never end. He has aleady seen people shooting at each other down the street from where he works and his office has been broken into a couple of times. One time he was coming home from work at night and when he looked to his left a guy was pointing a pistal right at him. Needless to say, he went through the red light and sped out of there. So now he keeps a pistal in his truck. He makes me practice on a target from time to time. But honestly, if anyone ever breaks into our home with a gun, I think I would be too afraid to shoot.
@@kathywiens9852 . the sad part is that New Orleans is such a beautiful city, with beautiful churches and a Catholic heritage. We used to drive to the city years ago, go to Mass at St. Louis Cathedral, and then have lunch in the French Quarter. Now we rarely go into the city.
This was really good to hear today! I think of all the times of my life that had I died while in the state of mortal sin that I would face damnation. When we kill people in prisons for the most heinous crimes we deny them that chance to find Christ and have their soul saved. In 2023 there should be no death penalty any longer in countries that have adequate prison systems.
"As to the muderer, let him live in order that he should be saved--which is the very purpose of our coming here....Help him to understand, after a moderate amount of punishment, that he is being pardoned in accordance with our law which commands us to forgive injuries; and let us prepare him not for death but for eternal life."-St. Junipero Serra to colonial authorities in 1775 after native warriors killed several people, including his fellow missionary preist and friend.
Hence why I love St. Maria Goretti’s story and the part about her mother and the perpetrator who raped/murdered her. Her witness and her mother’s response is amazingly strong considering the hardship this man put her family through.
Sigh. Another layer of information to convince my heart that it was ok to leave my husband who approached me with deadly force. I appreciate the quote from Aquinas. I have struggled to truly believe that it was a legitimate option to leave, and I carry much guilt that I wasn't willing to be martyred, that I am not holy, that I didn't measure up...
In Texas not too long ago a Prisoner escaped. He went to hide in a cabin in the woods. A Granfather and his 3 grandchildren we’re going on a hunting trip and the escaped prisoner murdered all of them.
Day 293 *The death penalty is inadmissable because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person... And the church works with determination for its abolition worldwide*
This is great as always! I would encourage avoiding the term "Judeo-Christian values" as a generous but inaccurate and confusing modernism. "Christian values" is historically and modernly accurate. Christianity is the continuation of the ancient religion. Modern Judaism is separate religion with it's own values. Have blessed weekend all.
This episode has fruitful and viable implications for subduing or neutralizing aggressors in the Israel-Hammas and Russo-Ukraine wars. But it is never justifiable for any individual, group or state to harm or kill civilians, especially innocent women and children. The Church's blanket opposition to capital punishment fails to consider social justice for the families and loved ones of those illegally, brutally and unethically murdered by incorrigible individuals and groups. Law enforcement and judicial institutions' lack of legitimate defense of innocent members of society as well as the failure to bring about social justice for the families and loved ones encourages an ethos of vigilante justice and promotes an environment of careless or reckless ineffectiveness, a lack of legal-political leadership and lawlessness. The world will not achieve peace until the power of love conquers the love of power.
Thank you! Where is the outrage from the bishop? Where is the Archbishop? Where is the Catholic Church defense of people held in prison for what, walking calming into public space paid for by taxpayers? Sent to prison for defending the unborn? And now Douglas Mackey? Travesty.
I'm hoping in the next couple of days we will cover war more thoroughly. How does the Catholic Church look at things that kill multiple people at one time, regardless if they're innocent or a threat, like bombs?
My copy of the Catechism did not include the bit on the Church wanting to push for the abolishment of the death penalty worldwide. Is that a new addition?
The last paragraph is a deviation from the perennial teaching of the Catholic Chirch. It is RECOMMENDED that mercy reign in regards to capital punishment but not obligatory that it not be applied. I have to say this is where Pope Francis wades into error. Period. I am not a "cheerleader" for the death penalty. Don't think any pro-life person can be. But the truth of the matter is that Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture both, universally, attest to the legitimacy of the death penalty and that trumps any pope's deviation from that. I think Pope John Paul II took the argument to its logical end - a firm, thoughtful, persuasive plea for mercy in such circumstances. But I think he was faithful and smart enough to know he could not expressly forbid it. That would be to put himself against the Deposit of Faith as Francis has. How would I react if someone brutally raped and murdered my wife and children. Can't say. But I would not violate any command of the Church if I requested death penalty for the perpetrator. Don't care what one or even two popes say on the issue. What is the consistent and universal tradition? Read all catechism prior to Vatican II...they all attest to the legitimacy of the use of the death penalty. Gotta show where this new interpretation was universally taught and held prior to JP2 and Francis. Otherwise it's just pious opinion on their behalf.
My 2010 version of the CoCC does not exclude recourse to the death penalty. The latest version which you read from does. The change was incorporated per Pope Francis whom many believe to be wonderfully pastoral. Help me out here, Father, my understanding is that a Catholic is duly bound to form his conscience in accordance with scripture, tradition and the teachings of the church as found in the CoCC. That being the case, it seems to me that a Catholic prosecuting attorney and his/her staff, the jurists, and death row correctional employees in a state wherein capital punishment is part of the civil law, are now obliged in conscience to recuse themselves. It seems that such conscience issues that now newly exist are not so ‘pastoral for sincere Catholics to abide by. Said people could lose their employment. And soldiers in a war zone having orders to be part of a firing squad could be punished or even killed themselves in the heat of war passions. So do I misunderstand the issues of conscience that are now in-play?
There are different conscience requirements in play for issues of faith and morals (which require full submission) and issues of pragmatic judgment (which require respectful consideration). Given that the death penalty is given sanction by God Himself -- "he who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed" -- it's impossible for even the Pope to make rejection of the death penalty an issue of faith and morals. As such, persons in positions where it seems clear that the Catechism's pragmatic judgment is inappropriate are free to revert to the basis in faith and morals reflected by the Bible and historical tradition. As far as I can tell, the issue is as follows: The Catechism is reflecting something true about Christian faith, namely, that the penitentiary system should be aimed at penitence and therefore such a system will only require resource to the death penalty to the extent that it falls short of its intended purpose. One should desire for the death penalty to be rendered unnecessary. However, it makes a faulty pragmatic judgment in presuming that the justice systems that we have do not fall short in such a way. At the very least, it appears not to consider that the whole world is not composed merely of robust Western-style democracies with effective prison systems. As such, those in positions to recognize instances where the only way to protect society from an unjust offender is to take the life of that offender cannot be bound by the Catechism to ignore the evidence of their own eyes. The prosecuting attorney has discretion to judge whether to seek the death penalty based on whether the offender can be kept from doing further harm; the jurists have discretion to vote to apply or abstain from the death penalty on those same grounds; corrections facility employees and soldiers can request religious exemptions from participation in executions which they feel are not necessary for the good of society.
Father: I was taught we shall no kill, simply because, as you have said so many times, we are the creation of the Lord, we were made at his own image, and he gave us a clear mandate, “Love thy neighbor, Love thy enemy”. He did not include exceptions. I think you somehow tried to justify Capital Punishment when “we are justified”. Sorry I think we are never justified, simply because we are never totally just, do not have that level of divine wisdom and power, only God is really just. Many people have been “justly” put to death, to later find out they were actually innocent; many criminals feel they were justified, Hitler thought he was justified to his actions, women have felt very justified to terminate their pregnancy. Even in the case of sociopaths, we are not justified to kill. How can we love our enemy and at the same time kill him?. We have maximum security prisons for that. Self defense for me is a different case, when is an unplanned, unpremeditated act of real and imminent self preservation. Sorry father for my digression, I think we have to be very clear and consistent in this issue, as uncomfortable as it may be. Thanks for the great ministry you are performing with the Bible in a Year and the Catechism in a year. God Bless you.
The problem is, prisons are imperfect and some prisoners are simply too dangerous to exist even in prison. A prisoner who repeatedly escapes or kills other prisoners has to be prevented from doing further harm. And in some societies, holding violent criminals in prison might not be possible. I'd argue that capital punishment is like war: it's only necessary when something has gone horribly wrong, but that doesn't mean it isn't the best decision under very bad circumstances.
Why is the Catholic Church trying to abolish the death penalty worldwide, when countries not as wealthy as the U.S. may not have the same high-security prisons that we do, and may need to resort to the death penalty? The only explanation I can think of is that these countries that don't have maximum security prisons are also likely to not have efficient or just judicial systems, and so many innocent people may be put to death...
1. No catechism is infallible, especially the modern one. 3rd edition with doctrinal and moral revisions attest to that. 2. That said - where the general majority of catechisms iver the centuries agree and attest to a particular interprwtation or teaching one can assent that that IS the truth. The new reprint of all western catechisms (Tradivox - Sophia Institute Press) will show without a shadow of a doubt that capital punishemnt, at keast in its justification, has near universal acceptance. 3. The pope CANNOT and SHOULD never innovate or change a teaching. I would argue he cannot as his office is to preserve and hand-on the Deposit of Faith. Most of the popes since V2 have perceived themselves as the editors and redactors of Sacred Tradition. That is error if not heresy.
