Cardinal Christopher Schoenborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, said today that Pope Francis is following the situation of Richard Allen Masterson, a death row inmate in Texas who is scheduled to be executed Wednesday.
The cardinal made this comment in response to a ZENIT question at a press conference to present the European Apostolic Congress on Mercy, scheduled for March 31 to April 4 as part of the Jubilee.
“Richard has been waiting 12 years for his execution,” Cardinal Schoenborn said. “It is frightening: To be executed tomorrow.”
The cardinal went on to speak about the work done by the Sant’Egidio Community and others in showing the “merciful heart of Jesus” to those who have been condemned to death.
Masterson was convicted in the 2001 murder of Shane Darin Honeycutt.
Pope Francis has spoken out not just against the death penalty, but even against the sentence of life imprisonment.
