Pastoral Statements

Bishops Welcome Repeal of Death Penalty in Connecticut

April 26, 2012 WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) congratulated the Connecticut bishops, the Connecticut Catholic Conference, Catholic Mobilizing Network, and all dedicated advocates against the death penalty for their work to bring about the repeal of the death... MORE

Priests for Life Statement on the Death Penalty

Priests for Life has come to signify two distinct but related movements within the wider pro-life movement. On one level, Priests for Life refers to a very specific effort to galvanize the clergy to preach, teach, and mobilize their people... MORE

Pope Speaks Out for End to Death Penalty

Pope Speaks Out for End to Death Penalty

November 30, 2011 – Today “Pope Benedict XVI voiced support Wednesday for political actions around the world aimed at eliminating the death penalty, reflecting his stance as an opponent of capital punishment,” noted an Associated Press article – “Pope Seeks... MORE

Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Life Issues

Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Life Issues

From the Archdiocese of New Orleans (October 2010) In this video made for Respect Life Month, Archbishop Aymond reflects on issues of life including the distinction of human life above other life, abortion, euthenasia, and the death... MORE

Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin Speaks on the Death Penalty

From the Texas Catholic Conference (2007) This video from the Texas Catholic Conference is a recording of Bishop Aymond of Austin from 2007. He speaks of Jesus’ clarity on the call for compassion, justice and mercy rather than revenge. Bishop... MORE

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn on Church Teaching and the Death Penalty

November 2, 2011 If the Church must be consistent regarding the value of life from the very conception to a natural death, the use of the death penalty is something that the Church should be against in our own day... MORE

Bishop Oscar Cantu Encourages Death Penalty Abolitionists to Take Message to Public Square

Listen to the December 2011 address as Bishop Cantu, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of San Antonio, Texas speaks to anti-death penalty activists. [Audio clip: view full post to... MORE

The Death Penalty: No Justice, No Healing, No Closure

By the Indiana Catholic Conference This video, produced by the Indiana Catholic Conference, examines the death penalty from the perspective of chaplains who work with prisoners on death row. It shares some of the stories of people who are on... MORE

The Vatican, The Holy Father and the Death Penalty

This page provides easy access to numerous statements by the late Pope John Paul II, Catholic teaching in the Catechism, and a compendium of Catholic Social Teaching on the death penalty.... MORE

The Common Good in Caritas in Veritate

By Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza Pope Benedict does not address the death penalty in Caritas in Veritate, but we can gleam from the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity that the common good would require true Christian humanism abolition of capital punishment.... MORE