Before you begin the first video reflect upon and answer the following questions
- Have you ever thought about the death penalty before? If so, what did you think?
- What do you think the Catholic Church teaches about the death penalty?
Video 1: Sanctity of Life
Reflection questions for Video 1:
Why is it so hard to respect the dignity of life in a convicted criminal?
What does Sr. Helen mean when she says the “Dignity of all life” or “pro-life across the board” mean?
How did Sr. Helen come to respect the dignity of all life?
- Why is it so hard to respect the dignity of life in a convicted criminal?
- What does Sr. Helen mean when she says the “Dignity of all life” or “pro-life across the board” mean?
- How did Sr. Helen come to respect the dignity of all life?
Video 2: Murder Victims’ Families and the Dead Man Walking Play Project
Reflection Questions for Video 2:
- What would you do if you lost a loved one due to a violent crime?
- What has Sr. Helen’s experience taught her about forgiveness?
- If you are a student or know of students, teachers, parents, etc who would be interested, visit www.dmwplay.org
Video 3: The Cross and Innocence
Reflection Questions for Video 3:
- What symbolism does Sr. Helen see in the crucifix?
- Why are murder victims’ families such important voices in the debate on the death penalty?
- With 136 people wrongly convicted and put on death row, do you think there could be more?
Wrapping Up
- What do you think about the death penalty after watching all three videos?
- Did you learn anything new about Catholic teachings or the death penalty?