Texas religious leaders push back against exclusion from death chamber

From Angelus News:

The group acknowledged that they have differing opinions on the death penalty but said they are “united in recognizing that the right of condemned people to spiritual comfort at the moment of death is a long-standing and widely recognized religious practice.”

“Each faith tradition marks this sacred moment in different ways, including anointing, singing, praying and chanting, and laying on of hands. These rituals, stemming from sincerely held religious beliefs, often require the direct assistance of clergy. The significance of the physical presence of a chaplain at a condemned person’s last moment is difficult to overstate,” the statement said.

They pointed out that the “physical companionship of a chaplain in the execution chamber is a small but vital form of human compassion in an otherwise dehumanizing process. The presence of a chaplain or spiritual adviser in the viewing room is no substitute for this direct ministry. “
They also said the agency’s decision infringes on the religious liberty rights of chaplains and spiritual advisers, saying: “Placing a wall between a prisoner and clergy violates the religious liberty that has characterized our nation since its founding.”

Two U.S. bishops called the Supreme Court’s refusal to allow an imam to be present at Ray’s execution Feb. 7 was “unjust treatment” that is “disturbing to people of all faiths.”
The Texas interfaith statement points out that in Texas, death row prisoners are denied contact visitation and spend 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.

Read more. CIL has covered this issue as it has unfolded.