With deep disappointment and sadness I note that the place for executing the death penalty in Illinois is moving to the town of Tamms in our diocese of Belleville. There are several reasons for my feelings.

First, the death penalty is obviously in opposition to out contemporary Catholic religious commitment. Pope John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae declared that the application of this extreme form of punishment be in the modern world very rare, if not practically non-existent, and then only if there were no other way to protect our society. The United States bishops expressed their opposition to the death penalty as well, as did the bishops of Illinois in their 1996 Statement on Capital Punishment. This united witness of the Church, based upon our understanding of Jesus' message, is to be taken most seriously by all Catholics.

Second, the issue of justice and fairness in the issue of the death penalty in Illinois has been a cause of concern for people even of differing religious traditions and political viewpoints. The gross errors placing many innocent people on death row in our state have prompted cries for a moratorium on capital punishment throughout Illinois. Even outside Illinois, people are ever more aware of the unfairness and unevenness of the application of this extreme punishment, failing as it does upon minorities and those without means for proper legal defense.

Third, the relocation of executions to our diocese of Belleville is itself a cause for concern. While the death penalty would be objectionable anywhere, there are particular reasons for seeing it as especially reprehensible for our area of the state. We are farther from the larger media outlets. Executions would be more easily hidden from public scrutiny and thus from public awareness.

I call upon all Catholics to renew their dedication to our deepest traditions and to the call of our Pope and bishops. I call upon all people of good will to renew their dedication to fundamental fairness and justice. While decrying the relocation of executions to our part of Illinois, I urge that awareness of this issue become ever more central to all people of Illinois.