Why a Campaign Now?
■ 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.
■ Catholics are re-examining and changing their minds
about the use of the death penalty. Less than half of all
Catholics now support the use of the death penalty, down
substantially from past years.
■ The death penalty diminishes all of us. Its use ought to be
abandoned not only for what it does to those who are exe-
cuted, but what it does to us as a society. We cannot teach
respect for life by taking life.
Facts About the Death Penalty
■ Approximately 3,500 inmates are on death row in
38 state, federal, and military prisons. The largest
number, over 600, is in California.
■ Since 1973, there have been more than 115 e
x
oner
-
ations of death row inmates.
■ Recent Supreme Court decisions have limited the
use of the death penalty by declaring it unconstitu-
tional to execute persons with mental retardation
and those who committed crimes as juveniles
(under the age of 18). The court has also ruled that
defendants are entitled to have a jury decide
whether to impose the death penalty.
■ Twelve states do not allow the use of the death
penalty. Five additional states have not executed
anyone since its reinstatement in 1976. Other states
are actively considering the abolition of the death
penalty including New Mexico and Connecticut.
Additional information in support of these facts can be found at www
.ccdep.org.
Catholic Teaching and the Death Penalty
C
atholic teaching offers a unique perspective on crime and
punishment. It begins with the recognition that the dignity
of the human person applies to both victims and offenders. It
affirms our commitment to comfort and support victims and
their families. It also acknowledges the God-given dignity of
every human life, even those who do great harm.
Catholic teaching on human life is rooted in the belief that
life is a gift from God that we must respect and protect. As it is
applied to the death penalty, this teaching is both complicated
and clear. The Church has long acknowledged the right of the
state to use the death penalty in order to protect society.
However, in recent years, Pope John Paul II, the
Catechism of
the Catholic Church, the Vatican’s Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church, and statements from bishops have more
clearly insisted that the state should forgo this right if it has
other means to protect society. Our fundamental respect for
every human life and for God, who created each person in his
image, requires that we choose not to end a human life in
response to violent crimes if non-lethal options are available.
Moreover, at a time when respect for the sanctity of human life
is undermined in many ways, the Church’s opposition to the
use of the death penalty is an important witness in support of a
culture of life.
In his encyclical The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II
called us to choose to be “unconditionally pro life” (no. 28).
During his last visit to the United States, he referenced the
encyclical in a speech in St. Louis: “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. Modern soci-
ety has the means of protecting itself, without definitively deny-
ing criminals the chance to reform.”
In response to Pope John Paul II’s call to end the death
penalty during his January 1999 visit, the bishops issued
A Good
Friday Appeal to End the Death Penalty. They reiterated his chal-
lenge to “end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnec-
essary
.” They concluded that their opposition to the death
penalty is important not only for “what it does to those guilty of
horrible crimes but for what it does to all of us as a society.”
P
ope John P
aul II and bishops from across the country have
continued to appeal for an end to the use of the death penalty
and have ask
ed Catholics to join in a witness for life.
It is time for U.S. Catholics to come together to work
to end the use of the death penalty in our land.
CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN
TO END THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY
What Catholics Are Thinking
About the Death Penalty
M
any Catholics have reconsidered their position on the
death penalty. In past polls, Catholic support mirrored that
of the American public at close to 70%. In a recent survey
(Zogby International Poll for USCCB, December 2004), less
than half (48%) of Catholics interviewed expressed support for
the use of the death penalty.
A majority of Catholics credited Church teaching as the
number one factor influencing their position on the death
penalty. When asked, 54% indicated that it has an impact on
their position. Catholics who attend Mass regularly are more
likely to oppose the death penalty (56% opposed) than those
who never attend Mass (26% opposed).
An overwhelming percentage of Catholics (79%) believe
that opposition to the death penalty is “consistent with the
defense of human life.”
Church Teaching on the Use of the Death Penalty
• The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II, nos. 27 and 56.
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2267.
• Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic
Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice, pp. 32-34.
• A Good Friday Appeal to End the Death Penalty.
T
he bishops of the United States have launched a “Catholic
Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty.” To help
Catholics take up this challenge, the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops is developing a website with resources for
use in parishes and dioceses, which include
• Resources explaining Catholic teaching on this issue
• Educational materials
• Papal statements
• Bishops’ and state conference statements
• Information on how to get involved in local, state or
national efforts to end the use of the death penalty
• USCCB amicus briefs on execution of the mentally
retarded and juveniles
• Examples of victims’ families who oppose the death penalty
and innocent people who were on death row
• Brief video on Catholic social teaching and the use of
the death penalty
• Liturgical, preaching, and other resources
This brochure, part of the “Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death
Penalty,” is authorized by the USCCB Committee on Domestic Policy.
What You Can Do
A
s part of the “Catholic Campaign to End the
Use of the Death Penalty” you can
Pray for victims of crime and their families, those
who have been wrongly convicted, and those
awaiting execution.
Learn about Catholic social teaching, criminal jus-
tice policies, and the policies in your state. Go to
the website listed below for more information
about the death penalty.
Educate people in your parish or community
about Catholic social teaching and the criminal
justice system. Visit the website listed below for
resources for classrooms and small faith commu-
nities, Vatican and bishops’ statements on the
death penalty, and statements from individual
bishops and state Catholic conferences.
Advocate by contacting your elected officials.
Share with them Catholic teaching on the death
penalty and urge them to take steps at the state
and national level to curtail or end its use. To
receive information on efforts regarding the death
penalty at the national level or to link with a par-
ticular state’s efforts, visit the website listed below.
To purchase this resource or to obtain a catalog of other USCCB titles, call
toll-free 800-235-8722. In the Washington metropolitan area or from outside the
United States, call 202-722-8716. Visit the bishops’ Internet site at www.usccb.org.
P
ara pedidos en español, llame al 800-235-8722 y presione 4 para hablar con
un representante del servicio al cliente en español.
Publication No. 5-723
USCCB Publishing
Washington, D.C.
ISBN 1-57455-723-8
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops • 3211 Fourth Street, NE • Washington, DC 20017-1194
For a wide range of
resources to help individuals,
parishes and dioceses participate in the
“Catholic Campaign to End the Use
of the Death Penalty”
go to
www.usccb.org/death-penalty.
