Bishop grateful for S.D. governor's stay of execution

Published: 2006-08-31

PIERRE, S.D. (CNS) -- South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds issued a reprieve Aug. 29 in what would have been the state's first execution in 59 years. Rounds said the state's law outlining protocols for execution by lethal injection was outdated. The stay of execution for 24-year-old Elijah Page lasts until after July 1, 2007. Bishop Samuel J. Aquila of Fargo, N.D., apostolic administrator of Sioux Falls, S.D., said he was grateful for the stay and hoped it would "allow time for an even fuller discussion about the appropriateness of the death penalty in South Dakota." In a statement after the reprieve was issued, he said, "The Catholic faith teaches that the death penalty is rarely, if ever, justified. The legal system in the United States is capable of protecting society by incarcerating violent offenders for life."

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