In recent years, and especially through the leadership of the late Pope John Paul II, Catholic Social Doctrine has become strongly opposed to capital punishment in practically all cases. The Catholic Church's opposition to the death penalty is based on its support for a consistent ethic of life for all of humanity. This consistent ethic also includes defending the unborn, the handicapped, victims of human rights abuses, and countless others whose human dignity is violated. This book, a collection of papers gathered as part of a project by the Florida Council of Catholic Scholarship, describes and defends the official Catholic theological opposition to the use of the death penalty in practically all cases. The book was produced by the Pax Romana Center for International Study of Catholic Social Teaching. Both bodies are hosted by and located at Saint Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida.