Death Penalty
The Latest
Bishops condemn Florida’s dropping of unanimous jury requirement for death penalty cases
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill April 20 allowing prisoners in the state to be sentenced to death without... Read more
Louisiana governor calls for end to death penalty — and legalizing some abortions
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, citing “pro-life values,” has called on lawmakers to end the state’s death penalty in the... Read more
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California bishops to visit death row inmates at San Quentin
A group of Catholic bishops will visit San Quentin Prison’s death row inmates on Tuesday. Read more
Parkland shooter’s life sentence is ‘severe and just,’ Miami archbishop says
Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami spoke out this week to support a life sentence for the man who killed 17... Read more
Denial of clemency to death row inmate disappoints Oklahoma archbishop
One day after a parole board denied clemency to death row inmate Benjamin Cole, the archbishop of Oklahoma City registered... Read more
Oklahoma City archbishop disappointed by denial of clemency to death row inmate
Shortly after Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma denied clemency to death row inmate James Coddington on Wednesday, the Archbishop of... Read more
OKC archbishop calls for end to death penalty after court upholds lethal injections
The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the death penalty "inadmissible." Read more
Bishops in Texas welcome stay of execution for woman on death row
The Texas bishops' conference expressed gratitude Monday that a state court halted the execution of Melissa Lucio over claims she... Read more
Charleston diocese: Making death-row inmate choose means of execution is 'barbarism'
After the South Carolina Supreme Court set a date for the execution of Richard Moore, the Diocese of Charleston stated... Read more
Condemned man wins case seeking pastor’s touch and prayer during execution
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of an inmate who requested that his pastor pray aloud and “lay hands” on... Read more
Supreme Court reinstates death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber
In a 6-3 decision, with Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting, the court found that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev... Read more
Bishops in Texas urge clemency for woman on death row
The state of Texas should grant clemency to a woman set to be executed in April, a Catholic organization and... Read more
Oklahoma governor's clemency of Julius Jones took 'tremendous courage,' Archbishop Coakley says
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City praised Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) for his “tremendous courage” in granting convicted murderer Julius... Read more
Catholic group decries Oklahoma execution, during which inmate vomited
A Catholic organization is calling on Oklahoma to stop executing prisoners following yet another botched execution Thursday afternoon. Read more
Catholics pray after Alabama executes death row inmate
Alabama executed inmate Willie B. Smith III on Thursday evening, Oct. 20, marking the first execution in the state since... Read more
Biden administration pushes death sentence for Boston bomber at Supreme Court
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday, Oct. 13 concerning whether or not to reinstate a federal death sentence for... Read more
Missouri bishops condemn execution of Ernest Johnson
The four bishops of Missouri released a joint statement on Wednesday evening condemning the state’s execution of Ernest Lee Johnson,... Read more
Missouri executes inmate after Holy See appealed for clemency
Missouri on Tuesday evening executed Ernest Johnson, 61, an inmate convicted of murdering three people in the 1990s, after the... Read more
Holy See asks Missouri governor to halt scheduled execution
The Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christopher Pierre, asked the governor of Missouri on Monday to spare the... Read more
Supreme Court halts execution of inmate requesting vocal prayer at his death
The Supreme Court late Wednesday evening halted the execution of a Texas death row inmate who had requested his pastor... Read more
