Death Penalty

The Latest

Robert G. Bowers, 50, entered Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue during morning Shabbat prayer services on Oct. 27, 2018. He killed 11 and injured several, including police officers.

Tree of Life synagogue shooter handed federal death penalty

Aug 3, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

Robert G. Bowers is the first person to be condemned to death under the Biden administration, which placed the federal... Read more

Death penalty.

Florida bishops request clemency for death row inmate

Aug 2, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

James Phillip Barnes is scheduled to die Thursday, but bishops in Florida have appealed to Gov. Ron DeSantis for a... Read more

Johnny Johnson.

UPDATE: Missouri death row inmate to be executed Tuesday

Jul 31, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

Catholics in St. Louis and across Missouri, as well as Pope Francis himself, had advocated for a stay of Johnny... Read more

Johnny Johnson.

Missouri death row inmate granted stay of execution following Catholic advocacy

Jul 26, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

Catholics across Missouri had advocated for a stay of Johnny Johnson’s execution, citing the Church’s teaching on the admissibility of... Read more

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Capitol Hill Democrats introduce bill to end federal death penalty

Jul 19, 2023

By Daniel Payne

Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin introduced a bill to abolish the federal death penalty, calling the... Read more

Death penalty.

Catholic priest shares inside look of accompanying a man on death row

Jul 4, 2023

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

Father Dustin Feddon from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee tells CNA what it was like to walk with Darryl Barwick to... Read more

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a campaign stop in Salem, New Hampshire, on June 1, 2023.

Florida bishops plead with DeSantis to spare life of death row inmate

Jun 2, 2023

By Zelda Caldwell

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops appealed to the governor to grant a stay and commute convicted murderer Duane Owen’s... Read more

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Bishops condemn Florida’s dropping of unanimous jury requirement for death penalty cases

Apr 24, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill April 20 allowing prisoners in the state to be sentenced to death without... Read more

Death row in an American prison.

Louisiana governor calls for end to death penalty — and legalizing some abortions

Apr 12, 2023

By Kevin J. Jones

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, citing “pro-life values,” has called on lawmakers to end the state’s death penalty in the... Read more

The lethal injection room at California's San Quentin State Prison.

California bishops to visit death row inmates at San Quentin

Mar 7, 2023

By Kevin J. Jones

A group of Catholic bishops will visit San Quentin Prison’s death row inmates on Tuesday. Read more

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami

Parkland shooter’s life sentence is ‘severe and just,’ Miami archbishop says

Oct 14, 2022

By Jonah McKeown

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami spoke out this week to support a life sentence for the man who killed 17... Read more

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Denial of clemency to death row inmate disappoints Oklahoma archbishop

Sep 28, 2022

By CNA Staff

One day after a parole board denied clemency to death row inmate Benjamin Cole, the archbishop of Oklahoma City registered... Read more

A lethal injection chamber.

Oklahoma City archbishop disappointed by denial of clemency to death row inmate

Aug 24, 2022

By Carl Bunderson

Shortly after Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma denied clemency to death row inmate James Coddington on Wednesday, the Archbishop of... Read more

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OKC archbishop calls for end to death penalty after court upholds lethal injections

Jun 6, 2022

By Joe Bukuras

The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the death penalty "inadmissible." Read more

The lethal injection chamber at San Quentin State Prison.

Bishops in Texas welcome stay of execution for woman on death row

Apr 26, 2022

By CNA Staff

The Texas bishops' conference expressed gratitude Monday that a state court halted the execution of Melissa Lucio over claims she... Read more

Firing squad

Charleston diocese: Making death-row inmate choose means of execution is 'barbarism'

Apr 11, 2022

By CNA Staff

After the South Carolina Supreme Court set a date for the execution of Richard Moore, the Diocese of Charleston stated... Read more

CNA

Condemned man wins case seeking pastor’s touch and prayer during execution

Mar 24, 2022

By Katie Yoder

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of an inmate who requested that his pastor pray aloud and “lay hands” on... Read more

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Supreme Court reinstates death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber

Mar 4, 2022

By Christine Rousselle

In a 6-3 decision, with Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting, the court found that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev... Read more

Death row in an American prison.

Bishops in Texas urge clemency for woman on death row

Feb 28, 2022

By Christine Rousselle

The state of Texas should grant clemency to a woman set to be executed in April, a Catholic organization and... Read more

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley preaching during Mass in the cathedral in 2021.

Oklahoma governor's clemency of Julius Jones took 'tremendous courage,' Archbishop Coakley says

Nov 18, 2021

By Christine Rousselle

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City praised Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) for his “tremendous courage” in granting convicted murderer Julius... Read more