One-Pagers

  • Dead Man Walking: Graphic Edition | Catholic Discussion Guide

    Through a series of thoughtful reflection questions, this discussion guide serves as an accompaniment to Dead Man Walking: Graphic Edition, offering readers a way to explore the Catholic call to uphold the sanctity of life and to examine the inadequacies of the U.S. criminal legal system. Since its landmark 1993 release, Sr. Helen Prejean’s Dead…

  • What does the Church say about the death penalty?

    The Catholic Church clearly teaches that the death penalty has no place in any society. Capital punishment is a direct attack to the sanctity of life, and our efforts to oppose this dehumanizing system fall squarely within the continuum of life issues. In 2018, the Catechism of the Catholic Church was clarified to reflect this…

  • [One-Pager] Standing for Life: Our Catholic Faith and the Death Penalty

    The Catholic Church has long supported alternatives to the death penalty. Each of the last three popes spoke out publicly against capital punishment, acknowledging the ways it violates the inherent dignity of the human person. Download the handout below to learn more about the church’s history of opposition to the death penalty and ways we can…

  • [One-Pager] Racism and the Criminal Justice System (USCCB)

    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 2-page letter highlighting the racial disparities systemically upheld within our country’s criminal justice system: Racism and the Criminal Justice System….

  • Catholic Social Teaching and Restorative Justice [printable]

    This PDF resource presents restorative justice through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching principles. It illuminates ways that restorative practices can transform individual relationships, communities, and systems in the spirit of healing and reconciliation. When crime happens, the U.S. legal system asks three questions: What law was broken? Who is guilty? How should they be…

  • Restorative Questions Card [Printable]

    CMN’s Restorative Questions Card is sized to fit in your pocket or wallet and be carried with you! About the Questions All of us have caused harm at some point in our lives; so too have we been harmed by others. When that happens, we have the opportunity to embrace a restorative mindset and pursue…

  • [One-Pager] What is Restorative Justice?

    This two-page handout gives an introductory overview of restorative justice and ways that practices can be applied in various settings. Download and print copies of this resource to complement an educational program or spread the word about restorative justice in your parish and community. Click here to read more about restorative justice.

  • [One-Pager] Capital Punishment in the U.S. and Momentum Toward Abolition

    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…

  • 5 Myths About Forgiveness: A Catholic Perspective

    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

    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…

  • [One-Pager] The Federal Death Penalty: What All Catholics Need to Know

    The Federal Death Penalty: What All Catholics Need to Know President Biden is the first president to oppose capital punishment publicly. He campaigned on an anti-death penalty platform, and on Jul. 1, 2021, Biden’s Department of Justice ordered an official moratorium on federal executions. Though an encouraging step, it does not prevent future administrations from…