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Japan | Hakamada found religion, but then felt under attack by ‘the devil’

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Editor's note: This is the last in a four-part series on letters that Iwao Hakamada wrote while on death row. About a decade after cursing God, Iwao Hakamada was baptized Catholic at the Tokyo Detention House on Dec. 24, 1984. “Since I have been given the Christian name Paul, I am keenly feeling that I should be aware of the greatness of Paul.” (June 1985)

Catholic Church criticizes Indonesia’s retention of death penalty

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Catholic Church leaders in Indonesia have deplored the nation’s rejection of the abolition of the death penalty in the southeast Asian nation. 

Abolishing the death penalty was one of the recommendations put to Indonesia by member states at the 27th session of the U.N. Universal Period Review in Geneva, Switzerland. 

 Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, who led the Indonesian delegation, rejected the recommendation, saying the death penalty was an integral part of President Joko Widodo's fight against narcotics, which she said was one of the top-three causes of death among Indonesian youths.

Father Paulus Siswantoko of the Commission for Justice, Peace and Pastoral Care of Migrants of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI) said the government's insistence on keeping the death penalty shows its failure to handle drug-related crimes. 

The government has often argued the death penalty is a deterrent, but this is not the case, he said. "Drug-related crimes and serious violence continue to occur unabated," the priest said.

Teguh Budiono, from the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic lay group, said retaining the death penalty will perpetuate a culture of violence in society. "Instead of providing a deterrent effect, this practice will only provide an affirmation of the passion of revenge," he said.

Source: Vatican Radio, May 15, 2017

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Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
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