Catholic Teaching Doesn't Always Forbid Death Penalty

The death penalty should be discontinued in the US. It is administered unjustly based on a person's socioeconomic status. I expect most Catholics would agree with that. But many commentators, academics and bishops – now perhaps even Pope Francis – want to go further: they say that the death penalty must always and everywhere be considered immoral. The trouble is that Catholic theology has generally supported the idea of capital punishment, for reasons which are perennially valid.