Bishops Statements

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:

In 2006, North Dakota Bishop Samuel Aquila made a strong statement from the Catholic Church opposing the first death penalty case in 100 years in North Dakota. Here is a summary of Bishop Aquila's statement:

"Bishop Samuel Aquila heads the Fargo diocese and says the church recognizes the government has the right to take a life, however Aquila says those cases are rare and that the church believes that life in prison is preferred to the death penalty. Aquila says he hasn't met with Sjodin's family but he realizes the family wants justice.

In 2006, the Bishops of Indiana rolled out with a resource to be used state-wide proclaiming the Church's pro-life voice and its opposition to the death penalty. Found below, the Bishops speak to Catholics in Indiana answering the question why our society does not need capital punishment. In short, a portion of the document reads: