Father Alexander Nadson joins campaign against death penalty
Father Alexander Nadson, the Apostolic Visitor for Belarusian Greek-Catholic faithful abroad and a notable Belarusian émigré social and religious leader, signed onto the petition for the abolition of the death penalty in Belarus.
‘I am a priest and a Christian. To me, life is a gift of God, that must be well-used, to the glory of God, for the sake of others’ on the Earth. Life can only be given by God and It is God who takes our life here, on the Earth, in due time. No one else can do it. This is my principle. Taking a more look at everyday life, it is essential to me that capital punishment is not a punishment. The essence of the punishment is for a person to suffer for what he has committed, but he should be given a chance to repent and save his life. In case his life is taken, he cannot repent. One should never abandon a hope that the toughest criminal with a heart of stone, provided he lives a long life, if he has but one day left, may repent. Remember what the Lord said: ‘God has no pleasure in their death (i.e. sinners), but that they should repent and live.’ This is what matters most to me. It is part of my belief.’
