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Last year I conducted a number of sessions with our confirmation teens on the theme of Christian morality. One of the case scenarios I asked them to tussle with, in group discussions was this:

Victor Stone is a life-long and hardened criminal. Most of his teenage years were spent in juvenile correction centers. At 22 he was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment for his part in the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of a 17yr old waitress. After serving ten years of this sentence, he was released, when new (but dubious) forensic evidence suggested his innocence of the crime of homicide.

Now at 39 he is on death row for his most recent crime: the torture, murder and mutilation of a young 18yr old man who was known to be gay. Stone openly admitted to this crime, and rejoiced that there was now one less 'faggot' around to contaminate the world. The young man he murdered was your brother. How do you feel about his death sentence: a) it is morally justified and should be carried out. Or, b) it ought to be commuted to life imprisonment without parole.

I gave the groups this particular scenario, as I wanted them to grapple with a real and contentious ethical issue of our time. Moreover, I wanted them to emotively imagine what their response might be to this hypothetical situation. And, lastly, I wanted to raise with them the importance of having a well-informed and consistent moral response to all issues of life and death - especially from a Catholic Christian perspective.

Sadly, in the western world today we live in a culture of increasing violence. As a human community, it seems that we have long forgotten that the earth - the living organism that sustains us, is a sacrament, vivified by the living Spirit of God. We need to realize that the way we are destroying it, by polluting our rivers, lakes and atmosphere; over-consumption of fossil fuels, and the widespread destruction of ecosystems, is tantamount to a sacrilege.

When we overeat or overindulge alcohol or drugs, we do violence to our bodies. When we mindlessly and passively expose ourselves to some of the twisted and obscene images on TV or the Internet, we do violence to our minds and spirit. Increasingly we are resorting to violence to resolve our political and ideological differences with others. And when will we learn that state-sanctioned homicide, was never and can never be morally justified?

Let me just read for you an extract from a recent statement by the United States Bishops. This is taken from their letter: Confronting a Culture of Violence.

This weekend we celebrate the feast of The Triumph of the Cross. So, how did Jesus respond to the evil, hatred and vengeance pitted against him as he hung dying on the cross? Somehow, from some deep, untouched place of love and healing energy within him, Jesus found the ability to forgive: 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' This power of forgiveness was an energy far greater than the hatred directed at him. In that sense there was a transformation of energy - good was returned for evil.

It seems to me, that at the root of all violence and destruction in the world are fear and the human need to control. We are trying to claim the power that belongs to God alone. Life, creation, the universe, continually emanate from, and return to God in love. This is the feast we celebrate today, the victory of love over hatred, the triumph of life over death.