This morning in Augusta, Georgia, Bishop Estevez of Saint Augustine, Bishop Hartmayer, OFM Conv of Savannah, and Archbishop Gregory of Atlanta held a press conference outside the Richmond County Courthouse in defense of life.
Last April, Steven James Murray murdered the Saint Augustine priest Father Rene Robert and dumped the body near Waynesboro, Georgia. Prosecutors have stated they may pursue the death penalty in this case.
Father Rene Robert’s ministry focused on ministry to convicts, both in prison and after their release. He recognized the inherent dignity of every human person, including those who had committed terrible crimes. A Franciscan friar before becoming a priest of the Diocese of Saint Augustine, Father Robert was aware of the danger his ministry entailed. Despite the risk, he served some of society’s most troubled and needy people.
Bishop Hartmayer, a fellow Franciscan, spoke not only as bishop of the diocese where the crime occurred, but also as a representative of the Franciscan Conventual Province of Our Lady of the Angles. Reading a statement from the Franciscan Provincial, Father James McCurry, OFM Conv, he stated, “In the spirit of Saint Francis, Fr. Rene was a man of mercy, who understood the plight of the poor and the dysfunctional. In his ministry to prisoners, he came face to face with violent and sociopathic criminals. He always treated them with the same intense understanding and compassion that Saint Francis had exercised towards society’s misfits.”
The Catholic Church defends life from conception to natural death, and advocating against the death penalty is consistent with the Church’s teaching. Though the Church recognizes that the state has the right to execute a criminal, she also believes that sentencing a criminal to life in prison allows for a conversion of heart. Why fight violence with more violence? In a nation where it is possible to incarcerate a criminal for life without any risk, it is better to do so.
The Bishops pointed out the significant fact that in 1995 Father Robert signed a “Declaration of Life” where he stated that if he was murdered, he did not want the perpetrator to be executed. This Declaration of Life adds an interesting dimension to the case since it appears Father Robert had a sense that his type of ministry could lead to his death. It speaks of a man of conviction who despite reasonable fears, deeply trusted in God and continued this unique ministry.
After the press conference, the three bishops were received by the Acting District Attorney Hank Sims who was sworn in just this morning. The Archbishop described him as “open, candid, and most gracious.” Bishop Estevez presented a petition with 7,400 signatures asking that Mr. Murray not be executed. Father Rene lovingly served men just like Steven James Murray and would not want him to be executed.
The press conference was a concrete defense of human dignity and a way to honor the wishes of Father Rene Robert. May he rest in peace, and may the Lord grant the grace of true repentance to Mr. Murray.
All pictures are mine, all rights reserved.
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