Jubilee Action
Join us in urging President Biden to act with justice and mercy and commute the federal death row.
Urge President Biden — Commute the Federal Death Row
Join us in urging President Joe Biden to honor the sanctity of life by commuting the sentences of the 40 individuals currently on federal death row.
Catholics and people of goodwill are calling on President Joe Biden, a Catholic, to take this concrete and compassionate step to save lives. By commuting these sentences, President Biden can offer these men a chance for redemption and demonstrate a commitment to upholding the dignity of all human life.
To President Joe Biden:
As your presidency approaches its conclusion, you have a unique opportunity to cement your legacy grounded in compassion and justice. By commuting the sentences of the 40 men currently on federal death row, you can make a lasting and decisive impact on the future of capital punishment in the United States. Such an act would ensure that your presidency is remembered not only for halting federal executions but for choosing mercy over retribution in the face of difficult moral questions.
During your campaign, you opposed the death penalty, particularly in response to the federal execution spree carried out under the Trump administration following a 17-year hiatus. We are grateful for your 2021 moratorium on federal executions, but we know that this alone cannot guarantee the protection of those on death row, nor does it prevent future administrations from resuming executions. We know that the federal death row, just as in the states, is marred by significant arbitrariness, including racial bias and the imposition on vulnerable individuals such as those with intellectual disability, brain damage, and serious mental illness.
As we approach the historic Jubilee Year of 2025, a time when Pope Francis has called for “forgiveness, reconciliation, and an end to every form of death penalty,” we ask you to act in the spirit of mercy and justice:
Commute the sentences of all 40 men currently on federal death row.
Pope Francis has consistently condemned the death penalty as an assault on the dignity of the human person and urged us to work for its abolition. By commuting these sentences, you would align with this clarion call, upholding the values of mercy, reconciliation, and justice.
The upcoming Jubilee Year of 2025 is a moment of profound renewal and forgiveness, a time to heal wounds and show compassion. By taking this action, you would offer a powerful testimony of your dedication to life and justice, leaving a legacy rooted in mercy.
President Biden, we urge you to act swiftly and decisively in commuting these sentences. Doing so will reflect the values of our shared Catholic faith, offer a chance for redemption, and honor the dignity of every human person.
“Be one in demanding dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights and above all the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation.”
-“Hope Does Not Disappoint,” Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025
A tangible expression of hope.
In the invitation to this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis has called on Catholics to strengthen their own sense of hope, but also to “be tangible signs of hope” in the world.
One concrete expression Pope Francis explicitly calls for leading up to Jubilee 2025 is the abolition of the death penalty.
That’s why we’re taking hopeful action in urging President Biden to commute the sentences of the 40 men on federal death row — a concrete step towards ending the death penalty in the United States.
“Be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind.”
– Pope Francis
Explore more for Jubilee 2025
Explore below to learn more about the federal death penalty and the Jubilee Year of 2025.
Every 25 years, the Catholic Church celebrates a special Jubilee Year. In 2025, Pope Francis has called us to honor this celebration through the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The U.S. federal death penalty operates separately from capital punishment throughout the states. Learn more about the current status of the federal death penalty along with facts and figures here.
In this webinar, you’ll hear from Catholic Mobilizing Network, a lawyer with decades of experience litigating capital cases as a defense attorney, and a religious sister who has provided spiritual accompaniment for individuals residing on the federal death row in Terre Haute, Indiana—even accompaniment to their execution.
Help CMN end the death penalty
Join our community to educate, advocate, and pray for abolition.