U.S. Bishop Chairmen Speak Out Against Sept. 2020 Federal Executions

(Washington, DC) Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement in response to the federal executions scheduled this week:

Video Reflection from Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

This 7-minute video reflection by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas was recorded on the occasion of the federal government's execution of Keith Dwayne Nelson on August 28, 2020.

In this moving testimony, Archbishop Naumann shares about his own experience as the son of a murder victim and affirms the Church's resounding call to end the practice of capital punishment.

Hope Over Death: A Catholic Family's Journey of Forgiveness and Restorative Justice

On April 2, 2010, Ann Grosmaire died after being shot by her fiance, Conor. Moved by their Catholic faith and inspired by Saint John Paul II's forgiveness of Mehmet Ali Ağca, Ann's parents, Kate and Deacon Andy Grosmaire, felt called to forgive Conor. Together with Conor's parents, the Grosmaires fought to address the crime in a way that allowed their voices to be heard.

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