Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission will hold a further vigil to pray for all those on death row around the world.

The prayer vigil will take place on Good Friday, April 10, at noon at Christ the King Church, Churchill Street, Graceville.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the plight of Scott Rush, whose family is part of the local Corinda-Graceville Parish, will continue to be a special focus of the vigil.

“We want to pray for all those around the world who face execution, but we are especially conscious of the pain and suffering of Scott Rush and his parents, Chris and Lee,” Mr Arndt said.

“We are very grateful for the support given to us by Fr Tim Harris and the Corinda-Graceville Parish,” he said.

“There are some comments coming from Indonesia which suggest that the time for further appeals by Scott and other Australians on death row may be limited, but we are not sure if this is actually the case,” he said.

“We do know that the Australian Government is adopting a much more positive attitude to universal abolition of capital punishment and this is very welcome,” he said.

“We hope that Catholics will continue to find the time to approach our politicians to ensure that they are doing everything they can to stop the execution of Scott and everyone else on death row,” he said.

“But we also want everyone praying constantly for Scott and his family and for everyone else affected by a death sentence in Indonesia and around the world,” he said.

“The day when Jesus was executed is an appropriate day for us to remember all those also facing execution,” he said.

“For those of us who believe in the message of the crucified Jesus, the message of God’s mercy, compassion and forgiveness is vital,” he said.

“We appeal to Catholics to stand against the violence of the death penalty and to stand up for life,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.