Catholic council urges Australia to oppose death penalty in Asia

Published: 2007-12-20

BRISBANE, Australia (CNS) -- The Australian Catholic Social Justice Council urged the federal government to show leadership in opposing the death penalty in Asia and Oceania. "Our opposition to capital punishment cannot end at our national borders," said Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome, chairman of the council, at the Dec. 20 launch in Brisbane of the publication "Confronting the Death Penalty: People, Politics and Principle." "Every person, whatever their citizenship, shares the fundamental right to life," said Bishop Saunders. The new publication, he said, urges the government "to work energetically with our neighbors for the abolition of the death penalty in our region." In the audience at Corinda Graceville Catholic Parish for the launch were parishioners Lee and Christine Rush, whose 22-year-old son, Scott, is currently on death row in Indonesia for heroin trafficking.

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