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.
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:
D.C. has abolished the death penalty. However, the church still speaks out against the federal death penalty. In 2004, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, who at the time was the Archbishop of Washington, came out with a strong statement against the expansion of the federal death penalty for terrorists. Here is a portion of his statement:
In 1998, the Bishops of Iowa made a public statement regarding their opposition to the death penalty because, at that time, the Iowa legislature was debating a bill intended to reinstate the death penalty. A section of the Bishops' text is read here:
“Todos los cristianos y hombres de buena voluntad están llamadas hoy a trabajar no sólo por la abolición de la pena de muerte, sino también para mejorar las condiciones de las cárceles, en el respeto de la dignidad humana de las personas privadas de libertad.” - Papa Francisco
