October is Respect Life Month!
Each year, the U.S. Catholic Church commemorates Respect Life Month, a time for Catholics to contemplate the sanctity of life and to oppose broken systems that violate human dignity. Beginning on Respect Life Sunday (Oct. 1, 2023), Catholics across the U.S. will recommit to upholding the pro-life teachings of our church.
The Death Penalty is Not Pro-Life
Capital punishment violates the church’s teaching on the inherent dignity of the human person. The Catholic Catechism calls on all the faithful to work "with determination for its abolition worldwide” (CCC 2267). Respect Life Month is a critical time for Catholics to amplify the church’s call for an end to this cruel and broken practice — we cannot build a culture of life in a nation that continues to put people to death.
About This Toolkit
The annual Respect Life Month Toolkit from Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) offers timely, easy-to-use resources designed to assist Catholics as they work toward a culture of life and an end to capital punishment. Divided into sections for education, advocacy, and prayer, the toolkit features helpful resources that can be used in Catholic parishes, dioceses, schools — even at home.
"The Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that 'the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,' and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide." (Catholic Catechism 2267)