In the Catholic Church in the United States, pastoral statements are offered by individual bishops in particular dioceses, state Catholic conferences of bishops, regional synods of bishops, or the national conference (USCCB) when seeking to apply universal church teaching to particular circumstances or issues. In the case of the death penalty, U.S. bishops have often been strong anti-death penalty advocates for persons sentenced to be executed. The list below includes more recent pastoral and state conference statements relating to Catholic teaching on the death penalty and its application to particular laws and state-sponsored executions.
At a press conference held in late 2013, New Hampshire Bishop Libasci, Diocese of Manchester, announced campaign to end the death penalty in New Hampshire. A part of his statements are found here:
The Florida Bishops in 2013 co-wrote a strongly worded letter to the Governor pleading with him to both commute an imminent death sentence and to also end the use of the death penalty in Florida. A portion of their letter says:
"We urge Governor Scott to commute the death sentence of Marshall Gore to life in prison without possibility of parole.
In 2013, Archbishop Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky spoke with fellow advocates of abolishing the death penalty. In short, his comments to the crowd were:
After Connecticut's repeal of the death penalty in 2012, the Catholic New Service published an article about the Connecticut Bishops' strong support of the repeal. Here is a portion of the article:
In 2011, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to the Bishops of Illinois congratulating them on their work to advocate for a legislative repeal of the death penalty. A part of the USCCB's statement is the following:
In 2009, Bishop Martin Holley, the Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, wrote a strong statement in support of Senate Bill 279 which would repeal Maryland's death penalty. Here is a portion of his statement:
In 2009, the Bishops of Colorado came out with a statement calling for an end to the death penalty in the state and for support to promote the dignity and sanctity of all life. A portion of the statement is read as follows:
In 2008, Archbishop Gregory gave a speech to a class of law students in Georgia. In his speech, he details the Church's position on capital punishment and its evolution. A part of his speech can be read as follows:
"The legitimate use of punishment to defend the order of justice should include remedies for both the victims and the perpetrators of crime.
In 2007, Bishop John M. Smith came out with a statement praising the state of New Jersey for abolishing the death penalty. Here is a portion of his interview:
"Bishop Smith, who testified before state lawmakers to oppose capital punishment, likewise said the legislators showed “a great deal of courage” to take an unpopular position against the death penalty.
The Bishops of New Jersey came out with a strong statement in opposition to the death penalty. Here is a portion of their statement:
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