Saddam Hussein

+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
14 Jan 2007

Saddam Hussein’s execution is already receding into history, and in death as in life he provoked division.

Slightly more Australians (47%) supported life imprisonment rather than his execution, while more women than men, but not a majority, were in favour of ending his life.  A majority of Queenslanders and Aussies over 70 were also of this view.

Naturally the Vatican followed Catholic policy, which has now developed into an explicit opposition to all capital punishment.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an 800 page summary of official teachings, published in 1994, which explains that governments have the right and duty to punish criminals with proportionate penalties “not excluding in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty”.  Before his death Pope John II, removed this exception.

Saddam certainly falls into the category of “extreme gravity”.  I do not believe that he was the worst tyrant of the second half of the twentieth with competitors like Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot, but he is in the front rank of evil doers.  One million people died in his war with Iran, he invaded Kuwait, systematically oppressed and killed the Kurds, murdered many of his own Iraqis and even enticed his sons-in-law home with false promises and had them executed within three days.  He was an unpleasant piece of work.

Some worried about the legality of his trial, conducted publicly during the violence of de facto civil war.  But he had legal representation, was able to defend himself and even appealed the verdict.

In an imperfect world there is little ground for complaint here, although his public execution to the taunts of opponents was symptomatic of the chaos in the country.  It was not entirely right and proper, but our sympathy should be directed first to his many victims.  Unlike most of them he has been buried in a marked grave in his home city, even if his coffin arrived there on the back of a utility.

The punishment of criminals is a vexed issue, where we should strive to avoid two extremes.  Generally public opinion is strong for justice, although some simply want vengeance, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”.  The other extreme rejects this and sees imprisonment primarily as an attempt to rehabilitate the criminal.

The traditional Christian teaching is a bit more complicated.  Those who believe in God the Creator believe there is a proper order in nature which serious evil disturbs and distorts.  Punishment is designed to redress this disorder and when the offender voluntarily accepts his punishment this further enhances the return to equilibrium.

Naturally governments use gaols to protect the safety of the population and to maintain public order.  Finally punishment should be medicinal contributing to the personal reform of the offender.

I should pray for Saddam’s soul but cannot weep for him.  I weep rather for his many victims.