Death Penalty
The Latest
California bishops urge voters to reject the death penalty this fall
On Thursday, the bishops of California announced their support of a state ballot measure that would end the use of... Read more
Death penalty under fire as Supreme Court takes disabled man case
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review the death sentence of a man whom lawyers claim is intellectually disabled,... Read more
Against death penalty, Pfizer bans drug sales for lethal injections
The drug company Pfizer has announced it will no longer sell drugs for use in lethal injections because it objects... Read more
Pope Francis against the death penalty: criminals too have the right to life
Christians must work to abolish the death penalty and improve prison conditions, Pope Francis said on Sunday. Read more
Ahead of Florida execution, bishops renew calls against death penalty
Stressing that capital punishment is not necessary in the modern-day U.S., Florida’s Catholic bishops have asked the state governor to... Read more
Major evangelical group recognizes growing opposition to death penalty
The National Association of Evangelicals has issued an expanded statement on the death penalty that for the first time recognizes... Read more
Pope appeals for life of Georgia death row inmate, but parole board rejects
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has declined to commute the death sentence of a local woman scheduled to... Read more
How Junipero Serra fought the death penalty for a California native
Blessed Junipero Serra’s love for the natives of California extended even to those who killed one of his friends and... Read more
Mercy, Justice, and the Gospel of Life: US bishops on ending the death penalty
Two leading U.S. bishops have renewed the call to choose life over the death penalty because, they say, heinous criminals... Read more
Supreme Court upholds use of controversial lethal injection drug
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the continued use of a drug that has been accused of causing... Read more
Boston bomber gets the death penalty – how should Catholics respond?
The death sentence for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a legitimate use of state authority, even if Catholics... Read more
Virginia bishops on the death penalty: We're having the wrong debate
As discussions surrounding a “more humane” death penalty in the United States continue, the two Catholic bishops of Virginia have... Read more
Indonesia draws international outcry for executing drug traffickers
The Australian bishops joined their voices to the international condemnation of the Indonesian government's execution of foreign drug traffickers last... Read more
Twenty years after bombing, Oklahoma City archbishop calls for mercy to temper justice
As the Oklahoma City community continues to heal two decades after the horrific bombing that claimed the lives of 168... Read more
Bishops appeal against death penalty in Boston bombing case
As accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stands trial, the Catholic bishops of Massachusetts are asking that he not receive... Read more
Bullets or needles? Death penalty faces new scrutiny as states mull changes
Firing squads, gas chambers and the electric chair – these types of execution may seem like methods of the past,... Read more
Pope Francis: No matter what the crime, 'the death penalty is inadmissible'
Regardless of the crime that has been committed, capital punishment is unacceptable in the modern world, Pope Francis stressed in... Read more
'Capital punishment must end' – Catholic publications unite in rare joint statement
Four U.S. Catholic publications with a broad range of audiences have come together in a joint editorial citing Church leaders... Read more
Court commended for staying execution of mentally ill man
The Catholic bishops in Texas thanked a federal appeals court for issuing a stay of execution for mentally ill inmate... Read more
Death penalty suspended in Ohio as lethal drugs questioned
Following the controversial botched execution of an inmate in Ohio, using a new lethal-injection mixture, a federal judge has decided... Read more
