![[Video] 5 Lessons from Open Wide Our Hearts, the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter Against Racism](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/open-wide-our-hearts-racism-woman-768x383.jpg)
In November 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love – A Pastoral Letter Against Racism. This 2-minute video from Catholic Mobilizing Network highlights five important takeaways from the letter. Download Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, A Pastoral Letter against…
![[One-Pager] Racism and the Criminal Justice System (USCCB)](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/emiliano-bar-1266993-unsplash.jpg)
In November 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released its long anticipated pastoral letter against racism: Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love. In conjunction, the USCCB also released a shorter letter highlighting the racial disparities systemically upheld within our country’s criminal justice system: Open Wide Our Hearts: Racism and…
About Just Mercy Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Bryan Stevenson, the film Just Mercy presents the stunning true story of Walter McMillian, a black man convicted and sentenced to death in Alabama in 1988 for a crime he did not commit. The film illustrates the structural racism endemic to our capital punishment system,…
When crime happens, the U.S. legal system asks three questions: What law was broken? Who is guilty? How should they be punished? By contrast, restorative justice asks a different set of questions that aim to help those impacted by a crime determine how to repair the harm done and live in right relationship moving forward….
Catholic Mobilizing Network’s Executive Director Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy is on a panel of ministry leaders conversing about the movie Just Mercy, and the ways in which it can inspire action among Catholics to address the sin of racism. Just Mercy is available for streaming on digital platforms. It tells the stunning true story of young…
The United States is an international outlier when it comes to maintaining the death penalty; more than 70% of the world’s countries have abolished capital punishment in law or practice. (Source: Death Penalty Information Center) But despite its poor record, the U.S. has seen intensifying momentum toward national death penalty abolition in recent years. From…
![[One-Pager] What is Restorative Justice?](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/What_is_RJ_Graphic-768x575.png)
This one-page handout gives an introductory overview of restorative justice and ways that practices can be applied in various settings. Use copies to complement an educational program or spread the word about restorative justice in your parish and community.
![[Video] Pope Francis and U.S. Bishops’ Response to George Floyd’s Killing](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/racism-floyd-video-768x392.jpg)
This collection of resources and activities equips K-12 school and college/university educators to introduce their students to restorative justice as it aligns with Catholic Social Teaching. FOR WHOM: Catholic educators in search of ways to incorporate the topic of restorative justice into K-12 school and college/university curricula. Best suited for classes on theology or social…
Catholic educators are often in search of ways to incorporate the issue of capital punishment into high school and college/university curricula. This collection of resources and activities serve as a general introduction to the issue of the death penalty as it aligns with Catholic Social Tradition. FOR WHOM: Intended for educator use in Catholic grade…
As Catholics, we understand that there is a Gospel call toward forgiveness — yet forgiveness is never an obligation, but a creative act of possibility and grace. This is especially important on a restorative justice journey. Together, we can work to dispel common myths about forgiveness and open up new possibilities for reconciliation and healing. Myth #1: Forgiveness…
![[One-Pager] Racism and the Death Penalty: Compounding Systems of Dehumanization](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Race_and_the_Death_Penalty_Graphic-768x575.png)
Catholic Mobilizing Network’s advocacy toward ending the death penalty reveals the institutionalized racism and discrimination rampant in the U.S. criminal legal system, which has resulted in the overincarceration of Black and Brown people — particularly on death row. Misuse and abuse of power perpetuate racial injustice and deny human beings of their God-given dignity. As…
Double your support of CMN’s principled and powerful advocacy to end the death penalty, advance justice, and begin healing.