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.
death penalty
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.
‘Restorative Justice’ Program Seeks Reparation, Not Retribution
When Chris Castillo’s mother was murdered in 1991 and a friend commented that if it had happened to him, he’d want seek revenge and kill the perpetrator, Castillo began to think deeply about the nature of crime and punishment.
Catholic Leaders Praise Abolition of Death Penalty in Colorado
Catholic leaders are cheering Colorado’s abolition of the death penalty – a move they say is fueled by new momentum following the revision to the Catholic Catechism to officially ban the practice and one that signals a westward expansion in the U.S. of the death penalty’s repeal.
Death Penalty Continues to Decline in the U.S. According to New Report
For five years in a row, there have been fewer than 30 death penalty executions and fewer than 50 death sentences, according to a new report that chronicles a continued dramatic decline in the use of capital punishment in the United States.
Supreme Court Leaves Temporary Stop on Federal Executions in Place
The U.S. Supreme Court has left in place a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Trump administration from carrying out the first federal executions in 16 years.
Most Americans Support Life in Prison over Death Penalty, Says New Poll
Most Americans support life imprisonment over the death penalty, according to a Gallup poll released Nov. 24, revealing a shift in the majority opinion on this issue for the first time in 34 years.
Event to Mark Catholic Group’s 10-Year Fight Against Death Penalty
One decade ago the Catholic Church still allowed for the death penalty under certain conditions, and 35 states across the country permitted the practice. As the Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) celebrates their 10-year anniversary this week, that number is down to 29 states.