Sister Helen Prejean - Jesus, Forgiveness and Capital Punishment
I was in Pittsburgh the other day laying the ground work for some upcoming trips to the opera. I had the good pleasure of meeting Randy Adams who works on the staff of the Pittsburgh Opera. In the midst of our conversation, Randy shared with me an experience of meeting Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic Nun, who has become one of the world's leading opponents of capital punishment. After counseling death row inmates, and then witnessing their executions, she told her story in the now classic book "Dead Man Walking". The book went on to be a major motion picture starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, a stage play, and even an opera which the Pittsburgh Opera Company presented a number of years ago. Randy spoke so eloquently about his time with Sister Prejean that I wanted to learn more about her.
Thanks to Youtube, here is an interview with Sister Prejean on InnerVIEWS. She shares her beliefs about Jesus, why she is opposed to the death penalty, finding the "transcendence" in each one of us, and what it means to forgive. These twenty-six minutes are well worth your time.
Love One Another - Brian
" . . .makes you realize the Dead Man Walking truly belongs on the shelf in the library in the Fiction category."
ReplyDelete"Being devout Catholics, 'the norm' would be to look to the church for support and healing. Again, this need for spiritual stability was stolen by Sister Prejean."
The parents of rape/torture/murder victim Loretta Bourque, a DMW case
"I wouldn't have had as much trouble with (Prejean's) views if she would have told the truth . . ."
" . . . (Sr. Prejean) based her book on what was in I guess a defense file and what (rapist/murderer) Robert Willie telling her."
" . . . she's trying to mislead people in the book. And that's something that she's going have to work out with herself."
"(Sr. Prejean's) certainly not after giving anybody spiritual advice to try to save their soul."
Case Detective Michael Vernado, in the rape/torture/murder of Faith Hathaway, DMW case
From (with additional problems for the sister)
"Sister Helen Prejean & the death penalty: A Critical Review"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/05/04/sister-helen-prejean--the-death-penalty-a-critical-review.aspx
We all know that forgiveness does not exclude sanction/punishment.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, justice can be an important aspect in forgiveness.