Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, writing in Scotland on Sunday on 8th August 2010, defends Scotland’s values on justice. He says there is a clash of cultures between Scotland and the United States of America.
He writes: “For the Christian the teaching of St Paul in his letter to the Romans is clear “vengeance is mine says the Lord”, revenge is not a path we should take. A statement from the Criminal, Justice and Parole Division of the Scottish Government earlier this year stating that “The perpetration of an atrocity should not be a reason for losing sight of the values people in Scotland seek to uphold and the faith and beliefs by which we seek to live the values of humanity and compassion”, I hope is a reflection of a view that would be held and endorsed by people of many faiths and none.”
“Scotland’s legal system allowed the Scottish Justice secretary to release Mr Al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds, following due process and based on clear medical advice. It was a decision for Scottish Ministers and no others to make. Scotland's justice system has embedded, alongside punishment, the idea of reform. It is one reason why the finality of the death penalty has rightly been rejected.”
Cardinal O’Brien, who lives in Edinburgh’s Morningside, celebrated twenty five years as a Bishop on 5 August 2010. He was chosen to be a Cardinal in 2003.