Death Penalty
The Latest
Oklahoma City archbishop supports effort to end state death penalty
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City has announced his support for state legislation that would remove the death penalty from... Read more
Drop in support for the death penalty matches decline in its use
As support for the death penalty decreases in the U.S., so does the number of inmates executed by the states,... Read more
For the first time, most Americans prefer life imprisonment to death penalty
For the first time in more than three decades, a majority of Americans favor life imprisonment without parole over the... Read more
Federal executions put on hold while court case moves forward
A federal judge on Wednesday issued a preliminary injunction halting federal executions in the U.S., saying that a challenge to... Read more
Texas bishops call for halt to Rodney Reed execution
The Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops have called for the Gov. Greg Abbott to delay or cancel the execution of... Read more
Florida bishops ask governor to stay planned execution
The Catholic bishops of Florida have called on Governor Ron DeSantis to halt the scheduled execution of James Dailey, who is... Read more
Bishops urge mercy on World Day Against the Death Penalty
The death penalty is outdated and promotes a culture of violence, three bishops said during a livestream conversation on Oct.... Read more
Virginia Catholic Conference: 'Public accountability' important in death penalty cases
The Virginia Catholic Conference has spoken in support of a lawsuit demanding that the public be able to view the entirety... Read more
Death row inmates appeal to North Carolina Supreme Court, citing racial bias
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is set to hear the case of six death row inmates who say a... Read more
Florida bishops: Serial killer's execution is 'unnecessary'
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is pleading for Gov. Ron DeSantis to stop the execution of Gary Ray Bowles,... Read more
Bishops lament return of federal executions
Catholic leaders have condemned the federal government’s announcement last week that it will resume of executions after an almost two... Read more
After nearly 20 years, federal government will resume executions
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will resume executions after an almost two-decade lapse, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced... Read more
Florida Catholic Conference asks governor to halt execution of serial killer
The Catholic bishops of Florida are calling on the state’s governor to spare the life of Bobby Joe Long, a... Read more
Bid to end death penalty in Louisiana fails
Senate Bill 112 would have added a question to the next state-wide ballot proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish the... Read more
After Supreme Court ruling, Texas bans all chaplains from execution rooms
The state of Texas has banned all prison chaplains from its execution chamber, following a Supreme Court decision that halted... Read more
Colorado Catholic Conference supports bill to repeal death penalty
As a measure to repeal Colorado’s death penalty passed a Senate committee this week, the Colorado Catholic Conference has expressed... Read more
Bishop objects to death sentence for Filipino woman in Saudi Arabia
A bishop in the Philippines is speaking out against the death penalty of a Filipino woman who has been condemned... Read more
Supreme Court overturns death penalty for man with intellectual disability
In a ruling released Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the death penalty sentence of a Texas inmate whom... Read more
Bishops ask Supreme Court to hear case on racism in death sentencing
Three U.S. bishops have called on the Supreme Court to take up the case of a death row inmate in... Read more
South Korean bishops call for an end to the death penalty
The South Korean bishops’ conference has called for an end to the death penalty, and asked the nation’s Constitutional Court... Read more
