Death Penalty Campaign

Pope John Paul II and the bishops have clearly asked us to act to end the use of the death penalty. Catholic teaching, as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other statements of the Vatican and the bishops, makes clear that the use of the death penalty cannot be justified when the state has other ways to protect society.

The death penalty in our land is deeply flawed. More than 115 people on death row have been exonerated. The death penalty is unfairly applied due to many factors, including where a crime is committed, the race of the victim and offender, and the quality and costs of defense.1

Death Penalty & The New Evangelization

The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life: who will proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life in every situation. A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. . . . I renew the appeal I made . . . for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary.2

Support for Death Penalty Declines

Death Penalty Data

Support for the death penalty continued to decline as opposition continued to increase according to a Gallop poll taken in October 2013.3

A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death

No matter how heinous the crime, if society can protect itself without ending a human life, it should do so…

While the Old Testament includes some passages about taking the life of one who kills, the Old Testament and the teaching of Christ in the New Testament call us to protect life, practice mercy, and reject vengeance…

When Cain killed Abel, God did not end Cain's life. Instead, he sent Cain into exile, not only sparing his life but protecting it by putting a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight (Gn 4:15).

When the state, in our names and with our taxes, ends a human life despite having non-lethal alternatives, it suggests that society can overcome violence with violence. The use of the death penalty ought to be abandoned not only for what it does to those who are executed, but for what it does to all of society…

For many left behind, a death sentence offers the illusion of closure and vindication. No act, even an execution, can bring back a loved one or heal terrible wounds. The pain and loss of one death cannot be wiped away by another death….4

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