Death Penalty - Capital Punishment

Backgrounder on the Death Penalty
February 2011

Facts About the Death Penalty
Death Penalty Information Center July 10, 2012

The Church and the Death Penalty: Questions and Answers

Death Penalty: Catholic Q&A

2011 Respect Life Program: The Death Penalty

Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty: Info Sheet

Prayer to End the Use of the Death Penalty

What You Can Do to End the Death Penalty

A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death

U.S. Bishops’ President on the Commutations of Federal Death Row Sentences
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, December 23, 2024

Statement on Supreme Court’s Ruling in Ramirez v. Collier
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, March 30, 2022

 Statement on Justice Department’s Moratorium on Federal Executions
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, July 3, 2021

Statement Welcoming Repeal of Death Penalty in Virginia
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, March 24, 2021

Letter to Congress Calling for the End of the Federal Death Penalty
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, January 11, 2021

Call for End to Executions and Ask Congress to Abolish Federal Death Penalty
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, January 11, 2021

Recalling the Meaning of Advent, Call for End to Executions
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, December 7, 2020

Statement Renewing Call to Stop Executions
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, November 18, 2020

Statement on Federal Executions Scheduled This Week
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, September 22, 2020

Statement Lamenting Additional Federal Executions
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, August 27, 2020

Statement Calling on Administration to Reverse Course on Federal Executions
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, June 30, 2020

Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Frank J. Dewane, July 30, 2019

Statement on the Planned Executions in Arkansas
Bishop Frank J. Dewane, April 13, 2017

Call for Recommitment to Bishop's Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty
Cardinal Sean O'Malley and Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, July 16, 2015

Statement Welcoming Supreme Court Decision to Review Protocols for Use of Lethal Injection
Cardinal Sean O'Malley and Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, January 27, 2015

Bishop Blaire Welcomes Repeal Of Death Penalty In Maryland
May 2, 2013

Bishops Welcome Connecticut Death Penalty Repeal
April 26, 2012

USCCB, Illinois Bishops Laud State's Death Penalty Repeal
March 10, 2011

Bishops Congratulate New Mexico on Death Penalty's Repeal
March 19, 2009

Bishops Urge New Mexico's Governor to Sign Death Penalty Repeal
Bishop William F. Murphy, March 16, 2009

Letter to Senate on The Streamlined Procedure Acts of 2005
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, July 13, 2005

Bishops Launch Major Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty |En Español
March 21, 2005

Response to U.S. Supreme Court Decision Roper v. Simmons
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, March 1, 2005

Letter to Conferees on the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act
October 21, 2004

Letter to President George W. Bush on the Justice for All Act of 2004
Bishop Wilton Gregory, October 15, 2004

Supreme Court and Juvenile Death Penalty
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, July 19, 2004

Bishops Commend Governor's Clemency to Death Row Inmates
January 16, 2003

101 Reasons to Abandon the Death Penalty
April 18, 2002

Statement on the Execution of Timothy McVeigh
Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, June 11, 2001

Statement on the Approaching Execution of Timothy McVeigh
Roger Cardinal Mahoney and William Cardinal Keeler, May 2, 2001

Letter to President Clinton Calling for a Moratorium on the Death Penalty
Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, July 10, 2000

Address to the National Press Club on the Church and the Death Penalty
Roger Cardinal Mahoney, May 25, 2000

Letter to President Clinton Urging Suspension of Executions
Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, February 9, 2000

Statements from the Vatican

Statement:  To End the Death Penalty
December 3, 1999

Statement:  A Good Friday Appeal to End the Death Penalty
USCCB Administrative Board, April 2, 1999

Colorado
Statement by Archbishop of Denver
June 6, 1997

Delaware
Delaware Ecumenical Statement, 1992

District of Columbia
Letter to Parishioners on the Death Penalty
James Cardinal Hickey, September 14, 1997

Statement of the Death Penalty
William Cardinal Baum, December 27, 1976

Florida
Death Penalty: Parish Resolution
St. Mary, Mother of Mercy, MacClenny, FL, June 1, 1999

Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Gracida, June 1976

Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop of Florida, November 1972

Georgia
Georgia Ecumenical Statement, 1980

Statement on the Death Penalty
Archbishop of Atlanta, 1992

Kentucky
Parish Resolution to Abolish the Death Penalty
Our Mother of God Church, Covington, Kentucky, May 24, 1999

Statement on the Death Penalty
Catholic Bishops of Kentucky, December 1996

Iowa
Iowa Catholic Bishops' Statement on Death Penalty
February 4, 1998

Minnesota
Testimony before the Judicial Committee
Bishop John F. Kinney, December 7, 1995

Montana
Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Brunett of Helena, 1995

Statement on the Death Penalty
Montana Catholic Conference,  November 1981

Nevada
Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Joseph Green, December 15, 1973

Ohio
Statement on the Death Penalty
Catholic Bishops of Ohio, June 28,1996

Oklahoma
Oklahoma Ecumenical Statement, 1990

Oklahoma Bishops Statement Addendum, 1983

Oregon
Statement on the Death Penalty
Oregon Catholic Bishops, October 1984

Rhode Island
Rhode Island Ecumenical Statement, 1976

Virginia
Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Walter F. Sullivan, December 1992

Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Walter F. Sullivan, July 1992

Texas
Texas Ecumencial Statement, 1998

Statement Against an Execution
Bishops of Texas, January 1992

Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Vincent M. Harris, 1977

Statement on the Death Penalty
Bishop Francis J. Furey, 1977