In response to the upcoming federal execution of Orlando Hall Nov. 19, and two more federal executions scheduled to take place in December, two U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen called on the government to end this practice.
death penalty
Chaplain to Death-Row Inmates Says Use of Death Penalty in U.S. Must End
A Catholic chaplain to Florida’s death-row inmates used a virtual forum to focus on his most significant lifetime pursuit — raising awareness about the wrongness of America’s use of the death penalty.
Catholic Activists Applaud Encyclical’s Stance Against Death Penalty
Pope Francis tackled several issues in his new encyclical, but the section devoted to ending capital punishment was particularly cheered by U.S. Catholics who oppose the death penalty.
U.S. Bishops Call on Trump and AG Barr to End Federal Executions
During the week in which two people were scheduled to die by lethal injection, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) implored President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr to halt all federal executions.
Four More Years? The Incumbents’ Record on the Issues, Including Abortion, Religious Freedom and Immigration
President Donald Trump officially became the GOP’s 2020 presidential nominee at the party’s convention this week in Charlotte, N.C. But winning the national Catholic vote in November is not necessarily a slam dunk.
UPDATE: Catholics Denounce Federal Execution of Navajo Tribe Member
Catholic leaders have joined their voices with members of the Navajo Nation in opposing the Aug. 26 scheduled execution of Lezmond Mitchell, the only Native American on federal death row.
Bishops Press for Death Penalty Protests Amid New Federal Executions
While many Catholic bishops insist that the Church must vigorously oppose the death penalty, not all Catholics agree, with almost half not sharing the sentiment.
Ahead of Third Execution, Church Leaders Urged Clemency or Delay
Prior to the July 17 execution of Dustin Honken, a 52-year-old man from Iowa, Catholic leaders, including the bishops of Iowa, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and the Benedictine priest who had been Honken’s spiritual adviser for 10 years, pleaded for a lesser sentence or at least a delay.
Setting of Execution Dates for Federal Death-Row Prisoners Denounced
Critics of the death penalty denounced the decision June 15 by Attorney General William Barr to set execution dates for four federal prisoners on death row.
Death Penalty Opponents Decry First Execution Carried Out Amid Pandemic
Catholic advocates against the death penalty spoke out against Missouri’s May 19 execution of a death-row inmate, Walter Barton, whose death by lethal injection was the first execution to happen during the pandemic.