Cardinal Martino: Death penalty for Saddam is wrong

Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said his personal opinion on the death sentence for Saddam Hussen -- announced Nov. 5 -- is wrong. He told Italian news agency ANSA:

"For me, to punish a crime with another crime, such as killing out of vengeance, means that we are still at the stage of 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.'"

As despicable as Saddam Hussein is, Cardinal Martino is right. Our modern society has the means of locking him up forever to protect society. Executing him is not going to make the unstable situation in Iraq any better.