[Pete Vere, JCL] I stopped accepting this argument after witnessing Catholic political neo-conservative casuistry while advocating for waterboarding in the prosecution of the War Against Terror, defending Sheriff Joe's deplorable treatment on undocumented immigrants and refugees, and of course acting as enthusiastic advocates for capital punishment. 

1 - St John Paul II was very clear on what constitutes torture and that despite the Church's past unfortunate tolerance of torture in more barbaric times, that the use of torture is intrinsically evil. (Language usually associated with abortion.) 

2 - Our Lord is very clear throughout the Old Testament (cf Deut 10 for example) that he defends the foreigner (immigrants and refugees) alongside the poor, the widow, and the orphan, and that he will punish harshly those who mistreat the aforementioned.

3 - Successive popes, the world's bishops, and orthodox Catholics outside the U.S. are near unanimous in opposing capital punishment.