Pope Francis, Capital Punishment, and Law

A Conversation with Professor John Finnis and Professor Gerard Bradley

Pope Francis recently announced an updating of part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church pertaining to the legitimacy of the death penalty. Notre Dame Law School Professors John Finnis and Gerard V. Bradley will discuss the content of this update, analyze how it fits into the Church’s tradition of teaching on the death penalty, imagine what future developments are left to be made, and address the question: Why does any of this matter for law students and practicing lawyers in the United States? What influence should Catholic teaching have on the responsibilities and duties of a conscientious Catholic lawyer?

Originally published at constudies.nd.edu.