California Catholics: Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to vote yes on AB 256, A bill that would allow individuals on death row or sentenced to LWOP a meaningful opportunity to challenge racial bias in their convictions and sentences.
Resources
CMN has created a wide-ranging collection of resources available for download and use. Below you will find our full catalogue of resources for your parish, school, community, or personal use. CMN has resources for all age groups, including youth, teen and even the whole family.
Simply use the filters below to sort by: Age (Adult, Family, Teen, etc.), Category (Educate, Advocate, Pray), Issue (Death Penalty, Restorative Justice), Type (Fact Sheet, Workshop, Video, etc.), and/or State then click the “Filter” button to find exactly the tool you are looking for.
Virginia Catholics: Send a thank you message to Governor Northam for signing repeal legislation into law.
Ohio Catholics: Contact your state legislators NOW to urge them to support the death penalty abolition.
Sign the petition urging President Biden to honor the sanctity of life.
More than 25,000 Catholics and people of faith have already pledged to educate, advocate, and pray for an end to the death penalty. Will you answer the call?
CMN’s Mercy in Action Project gives YOU the tools you need to promote clemency for those on death row. Sign up today to start receiving monthly execution alerts.
“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
Created in partnership between CMN and Renew International, this small group resource examines Catholic teaching on the death penalty and is based on the insights of Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ.
Harm, Healing, and Human Dignity is a faith formation resource to help parishes, small groups, and individual believers reflect on the Catholic call to restorative justice.
A selection of CMN's favorite books covering the topics of capital punishment and restorative justice.
Developing the traditional Catholic understanding of justice, offering a theological understanding of restorative justice, and explaining how it can be implemented.
In this homily, Fr. William Kelley, S.J. provides us with an inspirational call to understand how we, as Catholics, can uphold the dignity of all human life, regardless of circumstance. This comes in light of the recent, and unexpected July 25, 2019 announcement from the Department of Justice that it will resume executions at the federal level for the first time in sixteen years.
A series of graphics highlighting the connection between the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe and the federal government's 2020 campaign to restart the practice of executions for the first time in 17 years.
Download and share these graphics to voice your support for those facing COVID-19 in U.S. prisons, jails, and detention centers, and encourage others to sign on to the Statement of Solidarity: A Catholic Response to COVID-19 Behind Bars.
Harness the power of social media and start advocating for the dignity of all life. Click on any of the graphics below to view them full size. Then, download and share using the hashtags #RespectLifeMonth and #HopeOverDeath.
Harness the power of social media and start advocating for the dignity of all life. Click on any of the graphics below to view them full size. Then, download and share using the hashtags #RespectLifeMonth and #HopeOverDeath.
Download CMN's collection of resources and activities about capital punishment geared toward use by Catholic educators.
Download CMN's collection of resources for Catholic educators geared toward introducing new audiences to the concept of restorative justice as it aligns with Catholic Social Tradition.
When crime happens, the U.S. legal system asks three questions:
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, and lays bare how this system devalues and cheapens all human life.
The modern death penalty system in the U.S. arose from our nation's ugly histories of slavery, lynching, and racial violence. To this day, capital punishment is unfairly applied based on race and remains the most punitive practice within a infamously racist criminal legal system.
Amid a national reckoning on racial injustice, restorative justice principles and practices can offer healing ways of addressing the deep harms of racial oppression and transforming the broken systems which give them rise.
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.
Download the policy principles below to urge our political leaders and policymakers to do all they can to respond to this crisis of COVID-19 in jails, prisons, and detention centers, specifically with regard to the following areas:
A five-part series guiding small groups and individual believers through a Lenten exploration of restorative justice.
(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:
Join Msgr Stuart Swetland, Fr. George Williams SJ, and Vicki Schieber for part two of a conversation about CMN, our work, and the current state of the movement to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice.
Join Msgr Stuart Swetland, Fr. George Williams SJ, and Vicki Schieber for a conversation about CMN, our work, and the current state of the movement to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice.
Working with journalist Andrea Acosta, CMN’s Sr. Ilaria Buonriposi produces a weekly podcast addressing the Church’s position on the death penalty or restorative justice in three versions (30 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes).
Working with journalist Andrea Acosta, CMN’s Sr. Ilaria Buonriposi produces a weekly podcast addressing the Church’s position on the death penalty or restorative justice in three versions (30 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes).
This Good Friday, join us in praying for the 15 people who have been executed since Good Friday 2020 and for an end to all executions.
On July 17, 2020 a man named Dustin Lee Honken recited a poem called "Heaven-Haven" in the moments before his execution at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
O God, Trinity of love, from the profound communion of your divine life, pour out upon us a torrent of fraternal love.
An Original Prayer by Sr. Addie Lorraine Walker, SSND
Sr. Addie Walker, SSND, wrote and shared the following prayer in honor of the Virtual Prayer Vigil held for Christopher Vialva on Thursday, Sept. 28th, 2020. Mr. Vialva was executed hours later by the federal government.
CMN created brief one page information sheets that shares Catholic Teaching and state-specific information on the death penalty. These are designed to educate Catholics, serve as bulletin inserts, handouts, or for those attending diocesan or parish advocacy days.
A one-page factsheet highlighting Catholic teaching on the death penalty alongside data showcasing America's broken relationship with capital punishment and evidence of the growing momentum towards its abolition.
Ending the death penalty is within reach! From Colorado to New Hampshire, 2019 holds several important opportunities to advance our cause. Download CMN's latest resource to stay up-to-date on the key states poised for death penalty repeal in the new year and ways that you can take action.
Learn a little bit more about capital punishment in the U.S., and how it relies on factors like race, income, geography, and mental illness to target marginalized groups.
CMN created brief one page information sheets that share Catholic Teaching and state-specific information on the death penalty. These are designed to educate Catholics, serve as bulletin inserts, handouts, or for those attending diocesan or parish advocacy days.
A brand new resource exploring the foundational concepts and practical considerations for restorative justice engagement in Catholic settings.
Visit this series of thoughtful reflection questions and supplementary resources to explore the Catholic call to uphold the sanctity of life within the U.S. criminal legal system.
Catholic Mobilizing Network offers this collection of Advent Reflections as a complement to this season of preparation for the coming of Christ.
Prepare for October's Respect Life Month activities with CMN's updated resource. This dynamic and user-friendly Toolkit provides dozens of education, advocacy, and prayer opportunities for individuals and communities looking to highlight the death penalty as an important life issue.
Catholic ministry leaders, restorative justice experts, and people who have been impacted by harm and crime explore the relationship between our Catholic faith and the philosophy and practices of restorative justice.
A group of Catholic ministry leaders, seasoned restorative justice practitioners, and people impacted by harm and crime offer their take.
EWTN’s Kate Scanlon speaks with Syl and Vicki Schieber, who suffered the violent murder of their daughter, Shannon, yet hold true to the teachings of the church and reject the death penalty.
Watch a recording of the Jan. 2021 virtual public dialogue featuring Bishop Daniel Flores, CMN's Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ, and Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr.
This webinar (broadcasted on April 22, 2020) explores how restorative practices can offer ways of coping with life amidst a global pandemic. The discussion features insights from Sheryl Wilson, an esteemed restorative justice practioinery and national leader.
Watch recordings of CMN's most recent webinars, and register to attend Empowering Church Leaders to Address Racism: Continuing the Conversation on Wednesday, July 10th, 2019.
These educational modules explore opportunities for restorative justice practices in the criminal justice system, parish communities and daily life.
CMN’s Restorative Justice Workshop provides an overview of restorative justice philosophy and explores this issue through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. A slide by slide Facilitator’s Guide and participant handout ensure you have everything you need to clearly present our stunning Prezi Presentation from opening prayer to closing discussion questions.
With this comprehensive resource, you don't need to be an expert to explore the death penalty issue in your school, parish, or community. Use our beautiful Prezi presentation and slide-by-slide Facilitator Guide to explore the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of all life and the social justice issues that surround the death penalty.
Catholic communities are, by their very nature, intergenerational. Our membership, liturgical celebrations and Sacramental moments bring together generations of family members as the faith is passed on from oldest to youngest. Family workshops, like CMN’s “The Advent of Mercy,” make this intergenerational character a defining feature, incorporating various age groups in a hands-on learning process designed to engage all members of the family unit.
